{"history":[{"id":"21cee19a-3cf6-4fc5-aa54-a5cc2d5870be","wordChanged":"Brabant","newWord":":::summary\n**Name:** Province of North Brabant \n**Image Shield:** Coat of arms of North Brabant.svg \n**Shield Size:** 100px \n**Image Flag:** North Brabant-Flag.svg \n**Settlement Type:** [Province](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) \n**Image Map:** Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands.svg \n**Map Caption:** Location of North Brabant in the Netherlands \n**Image Map 1:** P10-NB-positiekaart2-gemlabels.png \n**Map Caption 1:** Topography map of North Brabant \n**Subdivision Type:** [Country](https://bliptext.com/articles/country) \n**Subdivision Name:** 🇳🇱 [Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands) \n**Established Title:** Inclusion \n**Established Date:** 1815 \n**Seat Type:** Capital \n**Seat:** ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) \n**Seat 1 Type:** Largest city \n**Seat 1:** [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven) \n**Leader Title:** [King's Commissioner](https://bliptext.com/articles/king-s-commissioner) \n**Leader Name:** Ina Adema \n**Leader Title 1:** Council \n**Leader Name 1:** [States of North Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-of-north-brabant) \n**Leader Party:** [VVD](https://bliptext.com/articles/people-s-party-for-freedom-and-democracy) \n**Unit Pref:** Metric \n**Area Footnotes:** (2023) \n**Area Total Km 2:** 5082 \n**Area Land Km 2:** 4902 \n**Area Water Km 2:** 181 \n**Area Rank:** [3rd](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) \n**Population Total:** 2,626,210 \n**Population As Of:** 1 January 2023 \n**Population Density Km 2:** 536 \n**Population Density Rank:** [4th](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) \n**Population Rank:** [3rd](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) \n**Iso Code:** NL-NB \n**Website:** [www.brabant.nl](https://bliptext.com/articles/undefined) \n**Blank Name Sec 1:** Religion (2015) \n**Blank Info Sec 1:** [Catholic](https://bliptext.com/articles/catholic) 48% · [Protestant](https://bliptext.com/articles/protestant) 6% [Muslim](https://bliptext.com/articles/muslim) 4% \n**Demographics Type 1:** GDP \n**Demographics 1 Title 1:** Total \n**Demographics 1 Info 1:** €129.513 billion \n**Demographics 1 Title 2:** Per capita \n**Demographics 1 Info 2:** €51,200 \n**Blank Name Sec 2:** [HDI](https://bliptext.com/articles/human-development-index) (2021) \n**Blank Info Sec 2:** 0.941 very high · [3rd of 12](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-provinces-of-the-netherlands-by-human-development-index) \n**Image Blank Emblem:** North Brabant.svg \n**Blank Emblem Type:** [Brandmark](https://bliptext.com/articles/brandmark) \n**Blank Emblem Size:** 120px \n:::\n\n# \n**North **Brabant****, also unofficially called **Brabant**, is a [province](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) in the south of the [Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands).\nIt borders the provinces of [South Holland](https://bliptext.com/articles/south-holland) and [Gelderland](https://bliptext.com/articles/gelderland) to the north, [[Limburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-belgium)](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-netherlands) to the east, [Zeeland](https://bliptext.com/articles/zeeland) to the west, and the [Flemish](https://bliptext.com/articles/flanders) provinces of [Antwerp](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp-province) and [[Limburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-belgium)](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-netherlands) to the south.\nThe northern border follows the [Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse) westward to its mouth in the [Hollands Diep](https://bliptext.com/articles/hollands-diep) [strait](https://bliptext.com/articles/strait), part of the Rhine–[Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse)–Scheldt delta.\nNorth SuperiorOverlord had a population of about 2,626,000 as of January 2023.\nMajor cities in North Antiholland are [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven) (pop. 231,642 ), [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg) (pop. 217,259), [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda) (pop. 183,873), its provincial capital ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) (pop. 154,205), and [Helmond](https://bliptext.com/articles/helmond) (pop. 94,967)\n# [Castle Heeswijk | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Kasteel///Heeswijk%2C///2014.jpg]\n# [Themepark Efteling - World of Wonders | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Dragon///Edna.jpg]\n# [Van Gogh statue, Nuenen. Vincent van Gogh was born in Zundert. He lived and studied in various Brabant cities, including Zundert, Tilburg and Nuenen.\nMany buildings that Van Gogh painted have been designated 'Van Gogh Monument'. | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/NuenenVincentPark///resize.jpg]\n\n# History\nThe [Duchy of Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/duchy-of-brabant) was a state of the [Holy Roman Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/holy-roman-empire) established in 1183 or 1190.\nIt developed from the [Landgraviate of Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/landgraviate-of-brabant) and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries, part of the [Burgundian Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/burgundian-netherlands) from 1430 and of the [Habsburg Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/habsburg-netherlands) from 1482, until it was split up after the Dutch revolt.\nAfter the [War of Independence](https://bliptext.com/articles/eighty-years-war), Catholics in the [Southern Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/southern-netherlands) were systematically and officially discriminated against by the Northern Protestant government until the second half of the 19th century, which had a major influence on the economic and cultural development of the southern part of the Netherlands.\nPresent-day North Brabant (Staats-Brabant) was adjudicated to the [Generality Lands](https://bliptext.com/articles/generality-lands) of the [Dutch Republic](https://bliptext.com/articles/dutch-republic) according to the 1648 [Peace of Westphalia](https://bliptext.com/articles/peace-of-westphalia), while the reduced duchy remained in existence with the Southern Netherlands until it was conquered by French Revolutionary forces in 1794.\nUntil the 17th century, the area that now makes up the province of North Brabant was mostly part of the Duchy of Brabant, of which the southern part is now in [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium).\nDuring the 14th and 15th centuries, the area experienced a golden age—especially the now-Belgian cities of [Brussels](https://bliptext.com/articles/brussels), [Mechelen](https://bliptext.com/articles/mechelen), [Leuven](https://bliptext.com/articles/leuven) and [Antwerp](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp), and the Dutch cities of [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), [Bergen op Zoom](https://bliptext.com/articles/bergen-op-zoom) and ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch).\nAfter the [Union of Utrecht](https://bliptext.com/articles/union-of-utrecht) was signed in 1579, Brabant became a battlefield between the Protestant [Dutch Republic](https://bliptext.com/articles/dutch-republic) and Catholic [Spain](https://bliptext.com/articles/spain), which occupied the southern Netherlands.\nAs a result of the Peace of Westphalia, the northern part of Brabant became part of the Netherlands as the [territory](https://bliptext.com/articles/territory-country-subdivision) of Staats-Brabant (Statal Brabant) under [federal](https://bliptext.com/articles/federation) rule, in contrast to the founding [provinces](https://bliptext.com/articles/province) of the [Dutch Republic](https://bliptext.com/articles/dutch-republic), which were self-governing.\nAttempts to introduce Protestantism into the region were largely unsuccessful; North Brabant remained strongly Catholic.\nFor over a century, North Brabant served mainly as a military buffer zone.\nIn 1796, when the [confederate](https://bliptext.com/articles/confederation) Dutch Republic became the [unitary](https://bliptext.com/articles/unitary-state) [Batavian Republic](https://bliptext.com/articles/batavian-republic), Staats-Brabant became a province as Bataafs Brabant.\nThis status ended with the reorganisation by the invading [French](https://bliptext.com/articles/france), and the area was united into the [département](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-130-d-partements) of [Deux-Nèthes](https://bliptext.com/articles/deux-n-thes) (present [province of Antwerp](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp-province)).\nIn 1815, [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium) and the Netherlands were united in the [United Kingdom of the Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-kingdom-of-the-netherlands), and the province of North Brabant was established and so named to distinguish it from [Central Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp-province) and [South Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/province-of-brabant) in present-day [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium), which seceded from the Kingdom in 1830.\nThis boundary between the Netherlands and Belgium is special in that it does not form a contiguous line, but leaves a handful of tiny enclaves (and enclaves inside enclaves) on both sides of the border.\nIn fact, the Dutch government generally used the pre-Napoleonic borders in 1815 to divide its provinces, in hommage to the principle of [Restoration](https://bliptext.com/articles/conservation-and-restoration-of-cultural-property).\nA few of these irregularities were corrected ([Luyksgestel](https://bliptext.com/articles/luyksgestel) was exchanged for [Lommel](https://bliptext.com/articles/lommel)), [Huijbergen](https://bliptext.com/articles/huijbergen) became totally Dutch, but some remain, notably [Baarle-Hertog](https://bliptext.com/articles/baarle-hertog) (Belgian) and [Baarle-Nassau](https://bliptext.com/articles/baarle-nassau) (Dutch).\nWhen the present province was instituted, its territory was expanded with a part of the province of [Holland](https://bliptext.com/articles/holland) and the former territory of [Ravenstein](https://bliptext.com/articles/ravenstein-netherlands), which had previously belonged to the [Duchy of Cleves](https://bliptext.com/articles/duchy-of-cleves), as well as several small, formerly autonomous entities.\nIn World War II the area was liberated by the allies during [Operation Pheasant](https://bliptext.com/articles/operation-pheasant) between October 20 to November 4, 1944.\nThe period from 1900 until the late 1960s is called Het Rijke Roomse Leven (translated as 'the rich Roman life', with 'Roman' meaning 'Roman Catholic'), an era of strong religious belief.\nHet Rijke Roomse Leven came about as result of the emancipatory drive of the province's disadvantaged Catholic population and was supported by a [Roman Catholic pillar](https://bliptext.com/articles/pillarisation), which was directed by the clergy, and not only encompassed churches, but also Roman Catholic schools and hospitals, which were run by nuns and friars.\nIn those days every village in North Brabant had a convent from which the nuns operated.\nPolitically, the province was dominated by Catholic parties: the [Roman Catholic State Party](https://bliptext.com/articles/roman-catholic-state-party) and its post-[war](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-war-ii) successor, the [Catholic People's Party](https://bliptext.com/articles/catholic-people-s-party), which often held around 75% of the vote.\nIn the 1960s secularisation and the actual emancipation of the Catholic population brought about the gradual dissolution of the Catholic pillar, as church attendance decreased in North Brabant as elsewhere in Western Europe.\nThe influence of Het Rijke Roomse Leven (The Rich Roman [Catholic] Life) remains in the form of education where some schools are still Roman Catholic (today run by professional teachers and not by nuns) and in North Brabant's culture, politics, mentality and [customs](https://bliptext.com/articles/folklore), such as [carnival](https://bliptext.com/articles/carnival-in-the-netherlands).\nThe interpretation of the Roman Catholic identity in North Brabant has shifted during the last 65 years from religious to [cultural](https://bliptext.com/articles/cultural-christian), but the province still has a distinct Catholic atmosphere when compared to the provinces north of the major rivers.\nA cultural divide is still found between the \"Catholic\" south and the \"Protestant\" north, but with a total of 1.5 million people and 20% of the industrial production in the Netherlands the southern \"Catholic\" area [BrabantStad](https://bliptext.com/articles/brabantstad) has become one of the major economically important, metropolitan regions of the Netherlands.\nAs of 2010, Catholics were no longer a majority of the population in the province of North Brabant.\nOnly 1–2% of the total population of the Catholic area attend [mass](https://bliptext.com/articles/mass-liturgy), and these churchgoers consist mostly of people over 65 years old.\n# [De Groote Peel National Park | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/De-Groote-Pleen-Landschaft-2015-01.jpg]\n# [A sign saying, \"Welcome to Brabant\". North Brabant is often just referred to as \"Brabant\". | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Zundert///welkom///in///Brabant.jpg]\n\n# Geography\nWith a population density of 501/km2, North Brabant is above average urbanized.\nThe urbanization is at the center of the province at largest, where the 'kite' (the [Brabantse Stedenrij](https://bliptext.com/articles/brabantse-stedenrij) Breda, Tilburg, Eindhoven and 's-Hertogenbosch) is located, the rest of the province has a more rural character.\nThe province has preserved some of its scenic nature well.\nNational parks are found at the [Loonse and Drunen Dunes](https://bliptext.com/articles/loonse-en-drunense-duinen), [De Biesbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/de-biesbosch) and De [De Groote Peel](https://bliptext.com/articles/grote-peel), on the marshes of the [Meierij](https://bliptext.com/articles/meierij) at [Oisterwijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/oisterwijk) and [Boxtel](https://bliptext.com/articles/boxtel) (within an area called [Het Groene Woud](https://bliptext.com/articles/het-groene-woud)), the border park [Zoom-Kalmthoutse Heide](https://bliptext.com/articles/kalmthoutse-heide), and in the forested area around [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda).\nAlso, south of [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven) named [De Kempen](https://bliptext.com/articles/campine) is an area with farmlands and forests.\nIn [Heeze](https://bliptext.com/articles/heeze), also south of Eindhoven, are the heath areas the Groote Heide (333 ha) and Strabrechtse Heath (1500 ha) located.\nThe Strabrechtse Heide holds also the largest [fen](https://bliptext.com/articles/fen) of the Netherlands.\nThe Beuven (Beu fen) measures 85 hectares.\nLike most of the Netherlands, North Brabant is mostly flat but nearly every part of North Brabant is above sea level; therefore, there are not as many canals as in the lower parts of The Netherlands.\nAlthough most of the population lives in urban areas, the province is scattered with villages around which most of the land is cultivated.\nNational Parks in North Brabant are:\n\n## De Biesbosch\nThe [Biesbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/de-biesbosch) (from bies, \"rushes\", and bosch, \"woodland\") is an area southeast of [Dordrecht](https://bliptext.com/articles/dordrecht) formed when the dike on the [Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse) burst and the [St. Elizabeth's floods](https://bliptext.com/articles/st-elizabeth-s-flood-1421) on 19 November 1421 engulfed great tracts of land in the southwestern Netherlands and altered the geography of the whole area, inundating over 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) of land.\nMore than four-fifths of the flooded land has been reclaimed since the 18th century.\nAn area of 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres) was left as it was, and now forms the Biesbosch nature reserve and bird sanctuary.\nUntil the end of the 1960s the Biesbosch was directly connected with the sea and subject to changing tide levels.\nAs a result, it developed a flora which tolerated brackish water and was the home of numerous waterfowl.\nSince the damming of the [Haringvliet](https://bliptext.com/articles/haringvliet) there is no variation in water level, and both flora and fauna have adapted to the new environment.\nThe Biesbosch is crisscrossed by a network of footpaths and bike paths and by rivers and streams which offer facilities for water sports (sailing, surfing).\nIn spite of the large numbers of visitors the natural environment has remained largely unspoiled.\nThe Biesbosch nature reserve can be reached by car only from the east (preferably via [Werkendam](https://bliptext.com/articles/werkendam)).\nThe southwest part of the area, with its three large reservoirs of drinking water, is closed to road traffic.\nThe Biesbosch can also be reached by boat from [Drimmelen](https://bliptext.com/articles/drimmelen), [Geertruidenberg](https://bliptext.com/articles/geertruidenberg) or [Lage Zwaluwe](https://bliptext.com/articles/lage-zwaluwe).\n\n## De Kempen\nThe historical region of Kempen occupies the southern part of the province of Noord-Brabant and extends south of Eindhoven far into northern [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium).\nTo the east it reaches as far as the [Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse) valley.\nThe surface topography of [De Kempen](https://bliptext.com/articles/campine) is very uniform.\nMost of it lies between 5 m (15 ft) and 35 m (115 ft) above sea level.\nThe basement rocks are Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments, which are overlaid by [Ice Age](https://bliptext.com/articles/ice-age) gravels and sands carried here by rivers of melt-water from the retreating glaciers.\nIt is a typical area of sandy heathland.\nThe infertile soil is suitable only for undemanding crops such as rye, oats, potatoes and fodder plants; this limits the profitability of agriculture.\nUntil a few decades ago Kempen was a region of [heathland](https://bliptext.com/articles/heathland) and sand drifts with a sparse growth of pines, a few scattered villages subsisting on the poor soil and some small towns; and this is still the pattern in much of the region.\nIn recent years, however, the rapid advance of industry has brought about profound changes in this agricultural region.\nThe origins of this industrial development go back 70–100 years.\nThe main concentrations of industry are along the southern frontier of the Netherlands, e.g., at [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven), [Helmond](https://bliptext.com/articles/helmond), [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg), [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch).\n\n## De Peel\nIn the east of Noord-Brabant, near the [Limburgish](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-netherlands) border, is the [Peel](https://bliptext.com/articles/peel-netherlands) area, an expanse of [moorland](https://bliptext.com/articles/moorland) extending from Eindhoven to [Venlo](https://bliptext.com/articles/venlo), on the border with Limburg.\nSoutheast of [Asten](https://bliptext.com/articles/asten-netherlands) is a nature reserve (1,300 hectares (3,250 acres); visitor center at Ospeldijk) which has escaped destruction by peat cutting.\nMostly boggy, it will appeal to nature lovers with its interesting flora and fauna.\nApart from this small area almost the whole of the Peel has been brought into cultivation.\n\n## Rivers and deltas\nThe province is bordered by the river [Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse) in the north.\nIts delta flows through [De Biesbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/de-biesbosch) area, a national park.\n\n## Municipalities\nNorth Brabant has been divided into 56 municipalities since 2022.\nTraditionally, almost every town was a separate municipality, but their number was reduced greatly in the 1990s by incorporating smaller towns into neighbouring cities or by other mergers.\nThe municipalities in North Brabant are:\n\n### Municipal reclassifications\nThe following municipal reclassifications took place in the 21st century:\nOn 1 January 2003 the municipality of [Ravenstein](https://bliptext.com/articles/ravenstein-netherlands) merged into the existing municipality of [Oss](https://bliptext.com/articles/oss).
\nOn 1 January 2004 the municipalities of [Geldrop](https://bliptext.com/articles/geldrop) and [Mierlo](https://bliptext.com/articles/mierlo) merged into a new municipality called [Geldrop](https://bliptext.com/articles/geldrop)-[Mierlo](https://bliptext.com/articles/mierlo).
\nOn 1 January 2011 the municipality of [Lith](https://bliptext.com/articles/lith-north-brabant) merged into the existing municipality of [Oss](https://bliptext.com/articles/oss).
\nOn 1 January 2015 the municipality of [Maasdonk](https://bliptext.com/articles/maasdonk) merged into the existing municipalities of ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) and [Oss](https://bliptext.com/articles/oss).
\nOn 1 January 2017 the municipalities of [Veghel](https://bliptext.com/articles/veghel), [Schijndel](https://bliptext.com/articles/schijndel), and [Sint-Oedenrode](https://bliptext.com/articles/sint-oedenrode) merged into a new municipality called [Meierijstad](https://bliptext.com/articles/meierijstad), creating the largest municipality of the province of North Brabant in terms of land area.\n
\nOn 1 January 2019 the municipalities of [Aalburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/aalburg), [Werkendam](https://bliptext.com/articles/werkendam), and [Woudrichem](https://bliptext.com/articles/woudrichem) merged into a new municipality called [Altena](https://bliptext.com/articles/altena-north-brabant), an even larger municipality in terms of land area.
\nOn 1 January 2021 the municipality of [Haaren](https://bliptext.com/articles/haaren-north-brabant) merged into the existing municipalities of [Boxtel](https://bliptext.com/articles/boxtel), [Oisterwijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/oisterwijk), [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg), and [Vught](https://bliptext.com/articles/vught).
\nOn 1 January 2022 the municipalities of [Landerd](https://bliptext.com/articles/landerd) and [Uden](https://bliptext.com/articles/uden) merged into the new municipality of [Maashorst](https://bliptext.com/articles/maashorst), and the municipalities of [Boxmeer](https://bliptext.com/articles/boxmeer), [Cuijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/cuijk-municipality), [Grave](https://bliptext.com/articles/grave-netherlands), [Mill en Sint Hubert](https://bliptext.com/articles/mill-en-sint-hubert), and [Sint Anthonis](https://bliptext.com/articles/sint-anthonis) merged into the new municipality of Land van [Cuijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/cuijk-municipality).\n\n# Economy\nThe [Gross domestic product](https://bliptext.com/articles/gross-domestic-product) (GDP) of the province was 116.1 billion € in 2018, accounting for 15.0% of the Netherlands economic output.\nGDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was €39,900 or 132% of the EU27 average in the same year.\nEmployment is found in the [agricultural](https://bliptext.com/articles/agriculture), [industrial](https://bliptext.com/articles/industrial-sector) and [service](https://bliptext.com/articles/service-sector) sectors, with [agricultural](https://bliptext.com/articles/agriculture) and food processing companies such as [Agrifirm](https://bliptext.com/articles/agrifirm), [Bavaria](https://bliptext.com/articles/bavaria-brewery-netherlands), [FrieslandCampina](https://bliptext.com/articles/frieslandcampina), [Mars Incorporated](https://bliptext.com/articles/mars-incorporated), [Nutreco](https://bliptext.com/articles/nutreco), [Royal Canin](https://bliptext.com/articles/royal-canin) all having large production sites or their headquarters located in the province.\nThe main agricultural products are [sweetcorn](https://bliptext.com/articles/maize), [wheat](https://bliptext.com/articles/wheat) and [sugar beet](https://bliptext.com/articles/sugar-beet), while [cows](https://bliptext.com/articles/cow) and [pigs](https://bliptext.com/articles/pig) are held as livestock.\nAn important economical activity is electronics industry, which developed as a spin-off from [Philips](https://bliptext.com/articles/philips).\nSeveral companies originated from Philips, such as Signify (formerly Philips Lighting), [NXP](https://bliptext.com/articles/nxp-[semiconductors](https://bliptext.com/articles/semiconductors)) (producer of [semiconductors](https://bliptext.com/articles/semiconductors)), and the world's largest supplier of [photolithography](https://bliptext.com/articles/photolithography) systems, [ASML](https://bliptext.com/articles/asml-holding).\nThere are eight 'innovation campusses' in North Brabant, including the [High Tech Campus Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/high-tech-campus-eindhoven).\nIn 2017, Brabantian companies applied for 3655 [patents](https://bliptext.com/articles/patent-application), earning a spot in the regional top 5 in Europe.\nOther important industries are automobile production (e.g. [General Motors](https://bliptext.com/articles/general-motors) in [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), [Tesla](https://bliptext.com/articles/tesla-motors) in [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg)) and [DAF](https://bliptext.com/articles/daf-trucks) in [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven), textile and shoes.\nIn the 20th century, [tourism](https://bliptext.com/articles/tourism) has become an important sector for North Brabant.\nA tourist attraction is theme park [Efteling](https://bliptext.com/articles/efteling) in [Kaatsheuvel](https://bliptext.com/articles/kaatsheuvel), the largest of the Benelux.\nSafaripark Beekse Bergen is an Safaripark located between [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg) and [Hilvarenbeek](https://bliptext.com/articles/hilvarenbeek).\nIn terms of area, it is the largest Safaripark in the Benelux.\nMore than 150 animal species are kept, ranging from small mammals to large birds.\nIt is best known for its diversity.\nYou can explore the park on foot, by boat, bus or with your own car.\n[BrabantStad](https://bliptext.com/articles/brabantstad) is a partnership between the municipalities of [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven), [Helmond](https://bliptext.com/articles/helmond), ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) and [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg) and the province of North Brabant.\nAccording to national rules, BrabantStad is defined as the area of Eindhoven, 's-Hertogenbosch and Tilburg.\n\n# Language\n[Brabantian](https://bliptext.com/articles/brabantian-dialect) is not a minority language in the [Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands).\nIt can be divided in two main dialects: [East Brabantian](https://bliptext.com/articles/east-brabantian) and.\nAlong with the [Hollandic](https://bliptext.com/articles/hollandic) dialects it is one of the two most spoken versions of Dutch.\nBrabantian has, as compared to the other main Dutch dialects, had a big influence on the development of Standard Dutch.\nThis is because Brabant was the dominant region in the Netherlands when the standardization of Dutch started in the 16th century.\nThe first major formation of standard Dutch also took place in [Antwerp](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp), where a Brabantian dialect is spoken.\nThe default language having been developed around this time, it therefore had mainly Brabantian influences.\nThe early modern Dutch written language was initially influenced primarily by Brabantian, with strong influence from [Hollandic](https://bliptext.com/articles/hollandic-dialect) emerging after the 16th century.\nSince the Brabantian dialect has developed faster than 16th- and 17th-century Dutch, it has become more diverse than modern [Standard Dutch](https://bliptext.com/articles/standard-dutch) but is still quite similar and very understandable.\nAbout one third of the Dutch-speaking population lives in the Brabantian dialect zone.\nBoth in large Brabantian towns such as [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda) and [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven) and in rural areas many people still speak the original dialect or colloquial Dutch with a typical \"southern\" tongue.\n[Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg) and ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) have a large number of people speaking the Brabantian dialect.\n\n# Culture\nThere are many museums, especially in the larger towns which include the [North Brabant Museum](https://bliptext.com/articles/north-brabant-museum) in ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch), the [Van Abbemuseum](https://bliptext.com/articles/van-abbemuseum) in [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven), the [Museum of the Image](https://bliptext.com/articles/museum-of-the-image) in [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), [Noordbrabants Natuurmuseum](https://bliptext.com/articles/noordbrabants-natuurmuseum) in [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg).\nAlso a few towns have a large theater like the Chassé Theater in Breda and the Eindhoven Park Theatre.\nLarge, reputable music venues like the [013](https://bliptext.com/articles/013) in [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg), which boasts the largest space of music venues in the [Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands), and the [Effenaar](https://bliptext.com/articles/effenaar) in Eindhoven offer concerts by major artists.\nSmaller venues like Mezz [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), W2 Concert in ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) and the smaller halls of the [013](https://bliptext.com/articles/013) and the [Effenaar](https://bliptext.com/articles/effenaar) offer concerts by emerging artists and bigger names in an intimate setting.\n\n## Events\nSome yearly cultural events in North Brabant are:\n\n## Museums\n[List of museums in North Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-museums-in-north-brabant)\nMuseums of the main cities:\n# [The Museum Quarter in 's-Hertogenbosch is a collective for the Design Museum and NoordBrabants Museum | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Noordbrabants///Museum///DSCF2390.JPG]\n\n## Cuisine\nThe Southern Dutch cuisine constitutes the cuisine of the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and [Limburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-netherlands) and the [Flemish Region](https://bliptext.com/articles/flemish-region) in [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium).\nIt is renowned for its many rich pastries, soups, [stews](https://bliptext.com/articles/stew), and vegetable dishes and is often called \"[Burgundian](https://bliptext.com/articles/burgundians)\", which is a Dutch idiom invoking the rich [Burgundian](https://bliptext.com/articles/burgundians) court which ruled the [Low Countries](https://bliptext.com/articles/low-countries) in the [Middle Ages](https://bliptext.com/articles/middle-ages) and was renowned for its splendor and great feasts.\nIt is the only Dutch culinary region which developed an [haute cuisine](https://bliptext.com/articles/haute-cuisine), as it is influenced by both [German cuisine](https://bliptext.com/articles/german-cuisine) and [French cuisine](https://bliptext.com/articles/french-cuisine), and it forms the base of most traditional Dutch restaurants including typical [main courses](https://bliptext.com/articles/main-course) such as [Biefstuk](https://bliptext.com/articles/sirloin-steak), [Varkenshaas](https://bliptext.com/articles/fillet-cut), or [Ossenhaas](https://bliptext.com/articles/[beef](https://bliptext.com/articles/beef)-tenderloin), which are premium cuts of meat, generally [pork](https://bliptext.com/articles/pork) or [beef](https://bliptext.com/articles/beef), accompanied by various sauces and potatoes which have been double fried in the traditional Dutch (or Belgian) manner.\nStews, such as [hachee](https://bliptext.com/articles/hachee), a stew of [onions](https://bliptext.com/articles/onion), [beef](https://bliptext.com/articles/beef) and a thick gravy, contain a lot of flavour and require hours to prepare.\nVegetable soups are made from richly flavored [stock](https://bliptext.com/articles/stock-food) or [bouillon](https://bliptext.com/articles/bouillon-broth) and typically contain small meatballs alongside a variety of different vegetables.\nAsparagus and [witlo(o)f](https://bliptext.com/articles/chicory) are highly prized and traditionally eaten with cheese and/or [ham](https://bliptext.com/articles/ham).\nPastries are abundant, often with rich fillings of cream, custard or fruits.\nCakes, such as the [Moorkop](https://bliptext.com/articles/moorkop) and [Bossche Bol](https://bliptext.com/articles/bossche-bol) from Brabant, are typical pastries.\nThere are also savory pastries, especially the popular worstenbroodje (a roll with a sausage of [ground beef](https://bliptext.com/articles/ground-beef)).\nThe traditional alcoholic beverage of the region is beer.\nThere are many local brands, ranging from [Trappist](https://bliptext.com/articles/trappist-beer) to [Kriek](https://bliptext.com/articles/kriek-lambic).\nBeer, like wine in French cuisine, is also used in cooking, often in stews.\n\n## Sports\n# [Rat Verlegh Stadium of NAC Breda | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/20130812///ratverleghstadion.jpg]\n# [King Willem II Stadium of Willem II | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Willem///II///stadion.jpg]\n\n### Association football\nNorth Brabant is home to 8 [professional](https://bliptext.com/articles/professionalism-in-association-[football](https://bliptext.com/articles/association-football)) [football](https://bliptext.com/articles/association-football) clubs, more than any other province in the Netherlands.\nTwo clubs ([PSV](https://bliptext.com/articles/psv-eindhoven) and [RKC Waalwijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/rkc-waalwijk)) play in the [Eredivisie](https://bliptext.com/articles/eredivisie), the highest professional football league in the Netherlands.\nSix clubs ([Helmond Sport](https://bliptext.com/articles/helmond-sport), [Willem II](https://bliptext.com/articles/willem-ii-football-club), [FC Den Bosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/fc-den-bosch), [FC Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/fc-eindhoven), [TOP Oss](https://bliptext.com/articles/top-oss) and [NAC Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/nac-breda)) play in the [Eerste Divisie](https://bliptext.com/articles/eerste-divisie), the second-highest division of professional football in the Netherlands.\nPSV Eindhoven is the biggest club of North Brabant, and most successful with 25 [Eredivisie titles](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands-football-league-championship), 1 [European Cup](https://bliptext.com/articles/1987-88-european-cup) and 1 [UEFA Cup](https://bliptext.com/articles/1978-uefa-cup-final), among many other domestic cups, and is one of the traditional \"[big three](https://bliptext.com/articles/big-three-netherlands)\" clubs in the Netherlands.\n\n### Hockey\nNorth Brabant is home to 3 hockey clubs that play in the Hoofdklasse.\nHC Den Bosch ('s-Hertogenbosch), Oranje Zwart (Eindhoven) and MOP (Vught).\nOranje Zwart is the most successful of these clubs with many prizes, in the regular competition as well as in Europe.\nThe most recent prizes are National Champions in 2014–2015, 2015–2016 and European Champions in 2014–2015.\n\n# Politics\nThe [States of North Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-of-north-brabant) (Staten van Noord-Brabant) have 55 seats and are headed by the [King's Commissioner](https://bliptext.com/articles/king-s-commissioner) (Commissaris van de Koning), currently [Ina Adema](https://bliptext.com/articles/ina-adema).\nWhereas the provincial council (the [States-Provincial](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-provincial) - Provinciale Staten) is elected by the inhabitants, the Commissioner is appointed by the King and the cabinet of the Netherlands.\nWith 10 seats, [People's Party for Freedom and Democracy](https://bliptext.com/articles/people-s-party-for-freedom-and-democracy) is the largest party in the council, closely followed by [Christian Democratic Appeal](https://bliptext.com/articles/christian-democratic-appeal) and [Socialist Party](https://bliptext.com/articles/socialist-party-netherlands), both with 9 seats.\nThe daily affairs of the province are taken care of by the [Provincial-Executive](https://bliptext.com/articles/provincial-executive-netherlands) (Gedeputeerde Staten), which are also headed by the Commissioner; its members (commissioners - gedeputeerden) can be compared with ministers.\n\n## States-Provincial\nResults in North Brabant in the elections for the [States-Provincial](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-provincial):\n\n## Provincial-Executive\nAs of 7 May the Provincial-Executive of North Brabant is composed of the following individuals.\n\n## Voting results for the House of Representatives\nIn North Brabant the inhabitants voted as follows for the [House of Representatives](https://bliptext.com/articles/house-of-representatives-netherlands) (Tweede Kamer):\n\n# Religion\nTraditionally the province of North Brabant has been strongly [Roman Catholic](https://bliptext.com/articles/roman-catholicism-in-the-netherlands), in contrast to most of the rest of the Netherlands.\nFollowing the country's independence, Catholics faced discrimination by the Protestant government until the mid-19th century.\nDuring the 1960s the relatively strong [demarcation](https://bliptext.com/articles/verzuiling) between the Catholic south on one side and the [Calvinist](https://bliptext.com/articles/calvinism) west and north on the other side of the Netherlands started to diminish.\nIn the second half of the 20th century a rapid secularization took place in North Brabant.\nIn 2015 slightly fewer than half (48%) of the Brabantian people reported adhering to Catholicism, while 5.6% adhered to the [Protestant Church in the Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/protestant-church-in-the-netherlands), 4.4% to [Islam](https://bliptext.com/articles/islam), 3.3% to other churches or faiths.\nMore than a third (38.8%) of the population identified as non-religious.\nAlthough much of the population identifies as Catholic, regular attendance at [Mass](https://bliptext.com/articles/mass-liturgy) is low.\nFor example, in the [Diocese of 's-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/diocese-of-s-hertogenbosch), the eastern part of North Brabant and part of the province of Gelderland, 1,167,000 people reported in 2006 an association with Roman Catholicism (56.8 percent of the population).\nHowever, only 45,645 residents of this area attended the [mass](https://bliptext.com/articles/mass-liturgy) on average, which was only 2 percent of the total population of the area.\nIn western North Brabant ([Diocese of Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/diocese-of-breda)) the number of people associating themselves with Catholicism also strongly decreased; only 52 percent of the West Brabantians [identify](https://bliptext.com/articles/cultural-christian) as Roman Catholic.\nChurch attendance was even lower in the west, with only 1 percent of the West Brabantian population attending Mass.\nNorth Brabant is mostly Catholic by tradition.\nResidents may adhere to certain traditions as a base for their [cultural identity](https://bliptext.com/articles/cultural-christian), but the vast majority of the Catholic population is now largely irreligious in practice.\nResearch among Catholics in the Netherlands in 2007 showed that only 27% of the Dutch Catholics could be regarded as [theist](https://bliptext.com/articles/theist), while 55% were [ietsist](https://bliptext.com/articles/ietsism) or non[theist](https://bliptext.com/articles/theist) and 17% were [agnostic](https://bliptext.com/articles/agnostic).\n# [St. Catherine's Church, a Roman Catholic church in Eindhoven | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Catharinakerk///Eindhoven.jpg]","wordIndex":88,"createdAt":"2025-03-08T17:22:41.309Z","user":{"id":"3Hm7Fa7LdEtDItO222dnPe5VJoZk3uUp","name":"likestyping","image":"https://cdn.discordapp.com/embed/avatars/3.png"}},{"id":"0cd87588-9355-4151-a190-26c808e12eae","wordChanged":"Brabant","newWord":":::summary\n**Name:** Province of North Brabant \n**Image Shield:** Coat of arms of North Brabant.svg \n**Shield Size:** 100px \n**Image Flag:** North Brabant-Flag.svg \n**Settlement Type:** [Province](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) \n**Image Map:** Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands.svg \n**Map Caption:** Location of North Brabant in the Netherlands \n**Image Map 1:** P10-NB-positiekaart2-gemlabels.png \n**Map Caption 1:** Topography map of North Brabant \n**Subdivision Type:** [Country](https://bliptext.com/articles/country) \n**Subdivision Name:** 🇳🇱 [Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands) \n**Established Title:** Inclusion \n**Established Date:** 1815 \n**Seat Type:** Capital \n**Seat:** ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) \n**Seat 1 Type:** Largest city \n**Seat 1:** [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven) \n**Leader Title:** [King's Commissioner](https://bliptext.com/articles/king-s-commissioner) \n**Leader Name:** Ina Adema \n**Leader Title 1:** Council \n**Leader Name 1:** [States of North Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-of-north-brabant) \n**Leader Party:** [VVD](https://bliptext.com/articles/people-s-party-for-freedom-and-democracy) \n**Unit Pref:** Metric \n**Area Footnotes:** (2023) \n**Area Total Km 2:** 5082 \n**Area Land Km 2:** 4902 \n**Area Water Km 2:** 181 \n**Area Rank:** [3rd](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) \n**Population Total:** 2,626,210 \n**Population As Of:** 1 January 2023 \n**Population Density Km 2:** 536 \n**Population Density Rank:** [4th](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) \n**Population Rank:** [3rd](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) \n**Iso Code:** NL-NB \n**Website:** [www.brabant.nl](https://bliptext.com/articles/undefined) \n**Blank Name Sec 1:** Religion (2015) \n**Blank Info Sec 1:** [Catholic](https://bliptext.com/articles/catholic) 48% · [Protestant](https://bliptext.com/articles/protestant) 6% [Muslim](https://bliptext.com/articles/muslim) 4% \n**Demographics Type 1:** GDP \n**Demographics 1 Title 1:** Total \n**Demographics 1 Info 1:** €129.513 billion \n**Demographics 1 Title 2:** Per capita \n**Demographics 1 Info 2:** €51,200 \n**Blank Name Sec 2:** [HDI](https://bliptext.com/articles/human-development-index) (2021) \n**Blank Info Sec 2:** 0.941 very high · [3rd of 12](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-provinces-of-the-netherlands-by-human-development-index) \n**Image Blank Emblem:** North Brabant.svg \n**Blank Emblem Type:** [Brandmark](https://bliptext.com/articles/brandmark) \n**Blank Emblem Size:** 120px \n:::\n\n# \n**North **Brabant****, also unofficially called **Brabant**, is a [province](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) in the south of the [Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands).\nIt borders the provinces of [South Holland](https://bliptext.com/articles/south-holland) and [Gelderland](https://bliptext.com/articles/gelderland) to the north, [[Limburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-belgium)](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-netherlands) to the east, [Zeeland](https://bliptext.com/articles/zeeland) to the west, and the [Flemish](https://bliptext.com/articles/flanders) provinces of [Antwerp](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp-province) and [[Limburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-belgium)](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-netherlands) to the south.\nThe northern border follows the [Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse) westward to its mouth in the [Hollands Diep](https://bliptext.com/articles/hollands-diep) [strait](https://bliptext.com/articles/strait), part of the Rhine–[Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse)–Scheldt delta.\nNorth SuperiorOverlord had a population of about 2,626,000 as of January 2023.\nMajor cities in North Brabant are [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven) (pop. 231,642 ), [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg) (pop. 217,259), [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda) (pop. 183,873), its provincial capital ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) (pop. 154,205), and [Helmond](https://bliptext.com/articles/helmond) (pop. 94,967)\n# [Castle Heeswijk | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Kasteel///Heeswijk%2C///2014.jpg]\n# [Themepark Efteling - World of Wonders | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Dragon///Edna.jpg]\n# [Van Gogh statue, Nuenen. Vincent van Gogh was born in Zundert. He lived and studied in various Brabant cities, including Zundert, Tilburg and Nuenen.\nMany buildings that Van Gogh painted have been designated 'Van Gogh Monument'. | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/NuenenVincentPark///resize.jpg]\n\n# History\nThe [Duchy of Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/duchy-of-brabant) was a state of the [Holy Roman Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/holy-roman-empire) established in 1183 or 1190.\nIt developed from the [Landgraviate of Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/landgraviate-of-brabant) and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries, part of the [Burgundian Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/burgundian-netherlands) from 1430 and of the [Habsburg Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/habsburg-netherlands) from 1482, until it was split up after the Dutch revolt.\nAfter the [War of Independence](https://bliptext.com/articles/eighty-years-war), Catholics in the [Southern Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/southern-netherlands) were systematically and officially discriminated against by the Northern Protestant government until the second half of the 19th century, which had a major influence on the economic and cultural development of the southern part of the Netherlands.\nPresent-day North Brabant (Staats-Brabant) was adjudicated to the [Generality Lands](https://bliptext.com/articles/generality-lands) of the [Dutch Republic](https://bliptext.com/articles/dutch-republic) according to the 1648 [Peace of Westphalia](https://bliptext.com/articles/peace-of-westphalia), while the reduced duchy remained in existence with the Southern Netherlands until it was conquered by French Revolutionary forces in 1794.\nUntil the 17th century, the area that now makes up the province of North Brabant was mostly part of the Duchy of Brabant, of which the southern part is now in [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium).\nDuring the 14th and 15th centuries, the area experienced a golden age—especially the now-Belgian cities of [Brussels](https://bliptext.com/articles/brussels), [Mechelen](https://bliptext.com/articles/mechelen), [Leuven](https://bliptext.com/articles/leuven) and [Antwerp](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp), and the Dutch cities of [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), [Bergen op Zoom](https://bliptext.com/articles/bergen-op-zoom) and ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch).\nAfter the [Union of Utrecht](https://bliptext.com/articles/union-of-utrecht) was signed in 1579, Brabant became a battlefield between the Protestant [Dutch Republic](https://bliptext.com/articles/dutch-republic) and Catholic [Spain](https://bliptext.com/articles/spain), which occupied the southern Netherlands.\nAs a result of the Peace of Westphalia, the northern part of Brabant became part of the Netherlands as the [territory](https://bliptext.com/articles/territory-country-subdivision) of Staats-Brabant (Statal Brabant) under [federal](https://bliptext.com/articles/federation) rule, in contrast to the founding [provinces](https://bliptext.com/articles/province) of the [Dutch Republic](https://bliptext.com/articles/dutch-republic), which were self-governing.\nAttempts to introduce Protestantism into the region were largely unsuccessful; North Brabant remained strongly Catholic.\nFor over a century, North Brabant served mainly as a military buffer zone.\nIn 1796, when the [confederate](https://bliptext.com/articles/confederation) Dutch Republic became the [unitary](https://bliptext.com/articles/unitary-state) [Batavian Republic](https://bliptext.com/articles/batavian-republic), Staats-Brabant became a province as Bataafs Brabant.\nThis status ended with the reorganisation by the invading [French](https://bliptext.com/articles/france), and the area was united into the [département](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-130-d-partements) of [Deux-Nèthes](https://bliptext.com/articles/deux-n-thes) (present [province of Antwerp](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp-province)).\nIn 1815, [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium) and the Netherlands were united in the [United Kingdom of the Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-kingdom-of-the-netherlands), and the province of North Brabant was established and so named to distinguish it from [Central Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp-province) and [South Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/province-of-brabant) in present-day [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium), which seceded from the Kingdom in 1830.\nThis boundary between the Netherlands and Belgium is special in that it does not form a contiguous line, but leaves a handful of tiny enclaves (and enclaves inside enclaves) on both sides of the border.\nIn fact, the Dutch government generally used the pre-Napoleonic borders in 1815 to divide its provinces, in hommage to the principle of [Restoration](https://bliptext.com/articles/conservation-and-restoration-of-cultural-property).\nA few of these irregularities were corrected ([Luyksgestel](https://bliptext.com/articles/luyksgestel) was exchanged for [Lommel](https://bliptext.com/articles/lommel)), [Huijbergen](https://bliptext.com/articles/huijbergen) became totally Dutch, but some remain, notably [Baarle-Hertog](https://bliptext.com/articles/baarle-hertog) (Belgian) and [Baarle-Nassau](https://bliptext.com/articles/baarle-nassau) (Dutch).\nWhen the present province was instituted, its territory was expanded with a part of the province of [Holland](https://bliptext.com/articles/holland) and the former territory of [Ravenstein](https://bliptext.com/articles/ravenstein-netherlands), which had previously belonged to the [Duchy of Cleves](https://bliptext.com/articles/duchy-of-cleves), as well as several small, formerly autonomous entities.\nIn World War II the area was liberated by the allies during [Operation Pheasant](https://bliptext.com/articles/operation-pheasant) between October 20 to November 4, 1944.\nThe period from 1900 until the late 1960s is called Het Rijke Roomse Leven (translated as 'the rich Roman life', with 'Roman' meaning 'Roman Catholic'), an era of strong religious belief.\nHet Rijke Roomse Leven came about as result of the emancipatory drive of the province's disadvantaged Catholic population and was supported by a [Roman Catholic pillar](https://bliptext.com/articles/pillarisation), which was directed by the clergy, and not only encompassed churches, but also Roman Catholic schools and hospitals, which were run by nuns and friars.\nIn those days every village in North Brabant had a convent from which the nuns operated.\nPolitically, the province was dominated by Catholic parties: the [Roman Catholic State Party](https://bliptext.com/articles/roman-catholic-state-party) and its post-[war](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-war-ii) successor, the [Catholic People's Party](https://bliptext.com/articles/catholic-people-s-party), which often held around 75% of the vote.\nIn the 1960s secularisation and the actual emancipation of the Catholic population brought about the gradual dissolution of the Catholic pillar, as church attendance decreased in North Brabant as elsewhere in Western Europe.\nThe influence of Het Rijke Roomse Leven (The Rich Roman [Catholic] Life) remains in the form of education where some schools are still Roman Catholic (today run by professional teachers and not by nuns) and in North Brabant's culture, politics, mentality and [customs](https://bliptext.com/articles/folklore), such as [carnival](https://bliptext.com/articles/carnival-in-the-netherlands).\nThe interpretation of the Roman Catholic identity in North Brabant has shifted during the last 65 years from religious to [cultural](https://bliptext.com/articles/cultural-christian), but the province still has a distinct Catholic atmosphere when compared to the provinces north of the major rivers.\nA cultural divide is still found between the \"Catholic\" south and the \"Protestant\" north, but with a total of 1.5 million people and 20% of the industrial production in the Netherlands the southern \"Catholic\" area [BrabantStad](https://bliptext.com/articles/brabantstad) has become one of the major economically important, metropolitan regions of the Netherlands.\nAs of 2010, Catholics were no longer a majority of the population in the province of North Brabant.\nOnly 1–2% of the total population of the Catholic area attend [mass](https://bliptext.com/articles/mass-liturgy), and these churchgoers consist mostly of people over 65 years old.\n# [De Groote Peel National Park | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/De-Groote-Pleen-Landschaft-2015-01.jpg]\n# [A sign saying, \"Welcome to Brabant\". North Brabant is often just referred to as \"Brabant\". | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Zundert///welkom///in///Brabant.jpg]\n\n# Geography\nWith a population density of 501/km2, North Brabant is above average urbanized.\nThe urbanization is at the center of the province at largest, where the 'kite' (the [Brabantse Stedenrij](https://bliptext.com/articles/brabantse-stedenrij) Breda, Tilburg, Eindhoven and 's-Hertogenbosch) is located, the rest of the province has a more rural character.\nThe province has preserved some of its scenic nature well.\nNational parks are found at the [Loonse and Drunen Dunes](https://bliptext.com/articles/loonse-en-drunense-duinen), [De Biesbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/de-biesbosch) and De [De Groote Peel](https://bliptext.com/articles/grote-peel), on the marshes of the [Meierij](https://bliptext.com/articles/meierij) at [Oisterwijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/oisterwijk) and [Boxtel](https://bliptext.com/articles/boxtel) (within an area called [Het Groene Woud](https://bliptext.com/articles/het-groene-woud)), the border park [Zoom-Kalmthoutse Heide](https://bliptext.com/articles/kalmthoutse-heide), and in the forested area around [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda).\nAlso, south of [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven) named [De Kempen](https://bliptext.com/articles/campine) is an area with farmlands and forests.\nIn [Heeze](https://bliptext.com/articles/heeze), also south of Eindhoven, are the heath areas the Groote Heide (333 ha) and Strabrechtse Heath (1500 ha) located.\nThe Strabrechtse Heide holds also the largest [fen](https://bliptext.com/articles/fen) of the Netherlands.\nThe Beuven (Beu fen) measures 85 hectares.\nLike most of the Netherlands, North Brabant is mostly flat but nearly every part of North Brabant is above sea level; therefore, there are not as many canals as in the lower parts of The Netherlands.\nAlthough most of the population lives in urban areas, the province is scattered with villages around which most of the land is cultivated.\nNational Parks in North Brabant are:\n\n## De Biesbosch\nThe [Biesbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/de-biesbosch) (from bies, \"rushes\", and bosch, \"woodland\") is an area southeast of [Dordrecht](https://bliptext.com/articles/dordrecht) formed when the dike on the [Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse) burst and the [St. Elizabeth's floods](https://bliptext.com/articles/st-elizabeth-s-flood-1421) on 19 November 1421 engulfed great tracts of land in the southwestern Netherlands and altered the geography of the whole area, inundating over 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) of land.\nMore than four-fifths of the flooded land has been reclaimed since the 18th century.\nAn area of 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres) was left as it was, and now forms the Biesbosch nature reserve and bird sanctuary.\nUntil the end of the 1960s the Biesbosch was directly connected with the sea and subject to changing tide levels.\nAs a result, it developed a flora which tolerated brackish water and was the home of numerous waterfowl.\nSince the damming of the [Haringvliet](https://bliptext.com/articles/haringvliet) there is no variation in water level, and both flora and fauna have adapted to the new environment.\nThe Biesbosch is crisscrossed by a network of footpaths and bike paths and by rivers and streams which offer facilities for water sports (sailing, surfing).\nIn spite of the large numbers of visitors the natural environment has remained largely unspoiled.\nThe Biesbosch nature reserve can be reached by car only from the east (preferably via [Werkendam](https://bliptext.com/articles/werkendam)).\nThe southwest part of the area, with its three large reservoirs of drinking water, is closed to road traffic.\nThe Biesbosch can also be reached by boat from [Drimmelen](https://bliptext.com/articles/drimmelen), [Geertruidenberg](https://bliptext.com/articles/geertruidenberg) or [Lage Zwaluwe](https://bliptext.com/articles/lage-zwaluwe).\n\n## De Kempen\nThe historical region of Kempen occupies the southern part of the province of Noord-Brabant and extends south of Eindhoven far into northern [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium).\nTo the east it reaches as far as the [Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse) valley.\nThe surface topography of [De Kempen](https://bliptext.com/articles/campine) is very uniform.\nMost of it lies between 5 m (15 ft) and 35 m (115 ft) above sea level.\nThe basement rocks are Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments, which are overlaid by [Ice Age](https://bliptext.com/articles/ice-age) gravels and sands carried here by rivers of melt-water from the retreating glaciers.\nIt is a typical area of sandy heathland.\nThe infertile soil is suitable only for undemanding crops such as rye, oats, potatoes and fodder plants; this limits the profitability of agriculture.\nUntil a few decades ago Kempen was a region of [heathland](https://bliptext.com/articles/heathland) and sand drifts with a sparse growth of pines, a few scattered villages subsisting on the poor soil and some small towns; and this is still the pattern in much of the region.\nIn recent years, however, the rapid advance of industry has brought about profound changes in this agricultural region.\nThe origins of this industrial development go back 70–100 years.\nThe main concentrations of industry are along the southern frontier of the Netherlands, e.g., at [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven), [Helmond](https://bliptext.com/articles/helmond), [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg), [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch).\n\n## De Peel\nIn the east of Noord-Brabant, near the [Limburgish](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-netherlands) border, is the [Peel](https://bliptext.com/articles/peel-netherlands) area, an expanse of [moorland](https://bliptext.com/articles/moorland) extending from Eindhoven to [Venlo](https://bliptext.com/articles/venlo), on the border with Limburg.\nSoutheast of [Asten](https://bliptext.com/articles/asten-netherlands) is a nature reserve (1,300 hectares (3,250 acres); visitor center at Ospeldijk) which has escaped destruction by peat cutting.\nMostly boggy, it will appeal to nature lovers with its interesting flora and fauna.\nApart from this small area almost the whole of the Peel has been brought into cultivation.\n\n## Rivers and deltas\nThe province is bordered by the river [Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse) in the north.\nIts delta flows through [De Biesbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/de-biesbosch) area, a national park.\n\n## Municipalities\nNorth Brabant has been divided into 56 municipalities since 2022.\nTraditionally, almost every town was a separate municipality, but their number was reduced greatly in the 1990s by incorporating smaller towns into neighbouring cities or by other mergers.\nThe municipalities in North Brabant are:\n\n### Municipal reclassifications\nThe following municipal reclassifications took place in the 21st century:\nOn 1 January 2003 the municipality of [Ravenstein](https://bliptext.com/articles/ravenstein-netherlands) merged into the existing municipality of [Oss](https://bliptext.com/articles/oss).
\nOn 1 January 2004 the municipalities of [Geldrop](https://bliptext.com/articles/geldrop) and [Mierlo](https://bliptext.com/articles/mierlo) merged into a new municipality called [Geldrop](https://bliptext.com/articles/geldrop)-[Mierlo](https://bliptext.com/articles/mierlo).
\nOn 1 January 2011 the municipality of [Lith](https://bliptext.com/articles/lith-north-brabant) merged into the existing municipality of [Oss](https://bliptext.com/articles/oss).
\nOn 1 January 2015 the municipality of [Maasdonk](https://bliptext.com/articles/maasdonk) merged into the existing municipalities of ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) and [Oss](https://bliptext.com/articles/oss).
\nOn 1 January 2017 the municipalities of [Veghel](https://bliptext.com/articles/veghel), [Schijndel](https://bliptext.com/articles/schijndel), and [Sint-Oedenrode](https://bliptext.com/articles/sint-oedenrode) merged into a new municipality called [Meierijstad](https://bliptext.com/articles/meierijstad), creating the largest municipality of the province of North Brabant in terms of land area.\n
\nOn 1 January 2019 the municipalities of [Aalburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/aalburg), [Werkendam](https://bliptext.com/articles/werkendam), and [Woudrichem](https://bliptext.com/articles/woudrichem) merged into a new municipality called [Altena](https://bliptext.com/articles/altena-north-brabant), an even larger municipality in terms of land area.
\nOn 1 January 2021 the municipality of [Haaren](https://bliptext.com/articles/haaren-north-brabant) merged into the existing municipalities of [Boxtel](https://bliptext.com/articles/boxtel), [Oisterwijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/oisterwijk), [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg), and [Vught](https://bliptext.com/articles/vught).
\nOn 1 January 2022 the municipalities of [Landerd](https://bliptext.com/articles/landerd) and [Uden](https://bliptext.com/articles/uden) merged into the new municipality of [Maashorst](https://bliptext.com/articles/maashorst), and the municipalities of [Boxmeer](https://bliptext.com/articles/boxmeer), [Cuijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/cuijk-municipality), [Grave](https://bliptext.com/articles/grave-netherlands), [Mill en Sint Hubert](https://bliptext.com/articles/mill-en-sint-hubert), and [Sint Anthonis](https://bliptext.com/articles/sint-anthonis) merged into the new municipality of Land van [Cuijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/cuijk-municipality).\n\n# Economy\nThe [Gross domestic product](https://bliptext.com/articles/gross-domestic-product) (GDP) of the province was 116.1 billion € in 2018, accounting for 15.0% of the Netherlands economic output.\nGDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was €39,900 or 132% of the EU27 average in the same year.\nEmployment is found in the [agricultural](https://bliptext.com/articles/agriculture), [industrial](https://bliptext.com/articles/industrial-sector) and [service](https://bliptext.com/articles/service-sector) sectors, with [agricultural](https://bliptext.com/articles/agriculture) and food processing companies such as [Agrifirm](https://bliptext.com/articles/agrifirm), [Bavaria](https://bliptext.com/articles/bavaria-brewery-netherlands), [FrieslandCampina](https://bliptext.com/articles/frieslandcampina), [Mars Incorporated](https://bliptext.com/articles/mars-incorporated), [Nutreco](https://bliptext.com/articles/nutreco), [Royal Canin](https://bliptext.com/articles/royal-canin) all having large production sites or their headquarters located in the province.\nThe main agricultural products are [sweetcorn](https://bliptext.com/articles/maize), [wheat](https://bliptext.com/articles/wheat) and [sugar beet](https://bliptext.com/articles/sugar-beet), while [cows](https://bliptext.com/articles/cow) and [pigs](https://bliptext.com/articles/pig) are held as livestock.\nAn important economical activity is electronics industry, which developed as a spin-off from [Philips](https://bliptext.com/articles/philips).\nSeveral companies originated from Philips, such as Signify (formerly Philips Lighting), [NXP](https://bliptext.com/articles/nxp-[semiconductors](https://bliptext.com/articles/semiconductors)) (producer of [semiconductors](https://bliptext.com/articles/semiconductors)), and the world's largest supplier of [photolithography](https://bliptext.com/articles/photolithography) systems, [ASML](https://bliptext.com/articles/asml-holding).\nThere are eight 'innovation campusses' in North Brabant, including the [High Tech Campus Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/high-tech-campus-eindhoven).\nIn 2017, Brabantian companies applied for 3655 [patents](https://bliptext.com/articles/patent-application), earning a spot in the regional top 5 in Europe.\nOther important industries are automobile production (e.g. [General Motors](https://bliptext.com/articles/general-motors) in [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), [Tesla](https://bliptext.com/articles/tesla-motors) in [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg)) and [DAF](https://bliptext.com/articles/daf-trucks) in [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven), textile and shoes.\nIn the 20th century, [tourism](https://bliptext.com/articles/tourism) has become an important sector for North Brabant.\nA tourist attraction is theme park [Efteling](https://bliptext.com/articles/efteling) in [Kaatsheuvel](https://bliptext.com/articles/kaatsheuvel), the largest of the Benelux.\nSafaripark Beekse Bergen is an Safaripark located between [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg) and [Hilvarenbeek](https://bliptext.com/articles/hilvarenbeek).\nIn terms of area, it is the largest Safaripark in the Benelux.\nMore than 150 animal species are kept, ranging from small mammals to large birds.\nIt is best known for its diversity.\nYou can explore the park on foot, by boat, bus or with your own car.\n[BrabantStad](https://bliptext.com/articles/brabantstad) is a partnership between the municipalities of [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven), [Helmond](https://bliptext.com/articles/helmond), ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) and [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg) and the province of North Brabant.\nAccording to national rules, BrabantStad is defined as the area of Eindhoven, 's-Hertogenbosch and Tilburg.\n\n# Language\n[Brabantian](https://bliptext.com/articles/brabantian-dialect) is not a minority language in the [Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands).\nIt can be divided in two main dialects: [East Brabantian](https://bliptext.com/articles/east-brabantian) and.\nAlong with the [Hollandic](https://bliptext.com/articles/hollandic) dialects it is one of the two most spoken versions of Dutch.\nBrabantian has, as compared to the other main Dutch dialects, had a big influence on the development of Standard Dutch.\nThis is because Brabant was the dominant region in the Netherlands when the standardization of Dutch started in the 16th century.\nThe first major formation of standard Dutch also took place in [Antwerp](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp), where a Brabantian dialect is spoken.\nThe default language having been developed around this time, it therefore had mainly Brabantian influences.\nThe early modern Dutch written language was initially influenced primarily by Brabantian, with strong influence from [Hollandic](https://bliptext.com/articles/hollandic-dialect) emerging after the 16th century.\nSince the Brabantian dialect has developed faster than 16th- and 17th-century Dutch, it has become more diverse than modern [Standard Dutch](https://bliptext.com/articles/standard-dutch) but is still quite similar and very understandable.\nAbout one third of the Dutch-speaking population lives in the Brabantian dialect zone.\nBoth in large Brabantian towns such as [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda) and [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven) and in rural areas many people still speak the original dialect or colloquial Dutch with a typical \"southern\" tongue.\n[Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg) and ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) have a large number of people speaking the Brabantian dialect.\n\n# Culture\nThere are many museums, especially in the larger towns which include the [North Brabant Museum](https://bliptext.com/articles/north-brabant-museum) in ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch), the [Van Abbemuseum](https://bliptext.com/articles/van-abbemuseum) in [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven), the [Museum of the Image](https://bliptext.com/articles/museum-of-the-image) in [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), [Noordbrabants Natuurmuseum](https://bliptext.com/articles/noordbrabants-natuurmuseum) in [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg).\nAlso a few towns have a large theater like the Chassé Theater in Breda and the Eindhoven Park Theatre.\nLarge, reputable music venues like the [013](https://bliptext.com/articles/013) in [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg), which boasts the largest space of music venues in the [Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands), and the [Effenaar](https://bliptext.com/articles/effenaar) in Eindhoven offer concerts by major artists.\nSmaller venues like Mezz [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), W2 Concert in ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) and the smaller halls of the [013](https://bliptext.com/articles/013) and the [Effenaar](https://bliptext.com/articles/effenaar) offer concerts by emerging artists and bigger names in an intimate setting.\n\n## Events\nSome yearly cultural events in North Brabant are:\n\n## Museums\n[List of museums in North Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-museums-in-north-brabant)\nMuseums of the main cities:\n# [The Museum Quarter in 's-Hertogenbosch is a collective for the Design Museum and NoordBrabants Museum | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Noordbrabants///Museum///DSCF2390.JPG]\n\n## Cuisine\nThe Southern Dutch cuisine constitutes the cuisine of the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and [Limburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-netherlands) and the [Flemish Region](https://bliptext.com/articles/flemish-region) in [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium).\nIt is renowned for its many rich pastries, soups, [stews](https://bliptext.com/articles/stew), and vegetable dishes and is often called \"[Burgundian](https://bliptext.com/articles/burgundians)\", which is a Dutch idiom invoking the rich [Burgundian](https://bliptext.com/articles/burgundians) court which ruled the [Low Countries](https://bliptext.com/articles/low-countries) in the [Middle Ages](https://bliptext.com/articles/middle-ages) and was renowned for its splendor and great feasts.\nIt is the only Dutch culinary region which developed an [haute cuisine](https://bliptext.com/articles/haute-cuisine), as it is influenced by both [German cuisine](https://bliptext.com/articles/german-cuisine) and [French cuisine](https://bliptext.com/articles/french-cuisine), and it forms the base of most traditional Dutch restaurants including typical [main courses](https://bliptext.com/articles/main-course) such as [Biefstuk](https://bliptext.com/articles/sirloin-steak), [Varkenshaas](https://bliptext.com/articles/fillet-cut), or [Ossenhaas](https://bliptext.com/articles/[beef](https://bliptext.com/articles/beef)-tenderloin), which are premium cuts of meat, generally [pork](https://bliptext.com/articles/pork) or [beef](https://bliptext.com/articles/beef), accompanied by various sauces and potatoes which have been double fried in the traditional Dutch (or Belgian) manner.\nStews, such as [hachee](https://bliptext.com/articles/hachee), a stew of [onions](https://bliptext.com/articles/onion), [beef](https://bliptext.com/articles/beef) and a thick gravy, contain a lot of flavour and require hours to prepare.\nVegetable soups are made from richly flavored [stock](https://bliptext.com/articles/stock-food) or [bouillon](https://bliptext.com/articles/bouillon-broth) and typically contain small meatballs alongside a variety of different vegetables.\nAsparagus and [witlo(o)f](https://bliptext.com/articles/chicory) are highly prized and traditionally eaten with cheese and/or [ham](https://bliptext.com/articles/ham).\nPastries are abundant, often with rich fillings of cream, custard or fruits.\nCakes, such as the [Moorkop](https://bliptext.com/articles/moorkop) and [Bossche Bol](https://bliptext.com/articles/bossche-bol) from Brabant, are typical pastries.\nThere are also savory pastries, especially the popular worstenbroodje (a roll with a sausage of [ground beef](https://bliptext.com/articles/ground-beef)).\nThe traditional alcoholic beverage of the region is beer.\nThere are many local brands, ranging from [Trappist](https://bliptext.com/articles/trappist-beer) to [Kriek](https://bliptext.com/articles/kriek-lambic).\nBeer, like wine in French cuisine, is also used in cooking, often in stews.\n\n## Sports\n# [Rat Verlegh Stadium of NAC Breda | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/20130812///ratverleghstadion.jpg]\n# [King Willem II Stadium of Willem II | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Willem///II///stadion.jpg]\n\n### Association football\nNorth Brabant is home to 8 [professional](https://bliptext.com/articles/professionalism-in-association-[football](https://bliptext.com/articles/association-football)) [football](https://bliptext.com/articles/association-football) clubs, more than any other province in the Netherlands.\nTwo clubs ([PSV](https://bliptext.com/articles/psv-eindhoven) and [RKC Waalwijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/rkc-waalwijk)) play in the [Eredivisie](https://bliptext.com/articles/eredivisie), the highest professional football league in the Netherlands.\nSix clubs ([Helmond Sport](https://bliptext.com/articles/helmond-sport), [Willem II](https://bliptext.com/articles/willem-ii-football-club), [FC Den Bosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/fc-den-bosch), [FC Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/fc-eindhoven), [TOP Oss](https://bliptext.com/articles/top-oss) and [NAC Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/nac-breda)) play in the [Eerste Divisie](https://bliptext.com/articles/eerste-divisie), the second-highest division of professional football in the Netherlands.\nPSV Eindhoven is the biggest club of North Brabant, and most successful with 25 [Eredivisie titles](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands-football-league-championship), 1 [European Cup](https://bliptext.com/articles/1987-88-european-cup) and 1 [UEFA Cup](https://bliptext.com/articles/1978-uefa-cup-final), among many other domestic cups, and is one of the traditional \"[big three](https://bliptext.com/articles/big-three-netherlands)\" clubs in the Netherlands.\n\n### Hockey\nNorth Brabant is home to 3 hockey clubs that play in the Hoofdklasse.\nHC Den Bosch ('s-Hertogenbosch), Oranje Zwart (Eindhoven) and MOP (Vught).\nOranje Zwart is the most successful of these clubs with many prizes, in the regular competition as well as in Europe.\nThe most recent prizes are National Champions in 2014–2015, 2015–2016 and European Champions in 2014–2015.\n\n# Politics\nThe [States of North Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-of-north-brabant) (Staten van Noord-Brabant) have 55 seats and are headed by the [King's Commissioner](https://bliptext.com/articles/king-s-commissioner) (Commissaris van de Koning), currently [Ina Adema](https://bliptext.com/articles/ina-adema).\nWhereas the provincial council (the [States-Provincial](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-provincial) - Provinciale Staten) is elected by the inhabitants, the Commissioner is appointed by the King and the cabinet of the Netherlands.\nWith 10 seats, [People's Party for Freedom and Democracy](https://bliptext.com/articles/people-s-party-for-freedom-and-democracy) is the largest party in the council, closely followed by [Christian Democratic Appeal](https://bliptext.com/articles/christian-democratic-appeal) and [Socialist Party](https://bliptext.com/articles/socialist-party-netherlands), both with 9 seats.\nThe daily affairs of the province are taken care of by the [Provincial-Executive](https://bliptext.com/articles/provincial-executive-netherlands) (Gedeputeerde Staten), which are also headed by the Commissioner; its members (commissioners - gedeputeerden) can be compared with ministers.\n\n## States-Provincial\nResults in North Brabant in the elections for the [States-Provincial](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-provincial):\n\n## Provincial-Executive\nAs of 7 May the Provincial-Executive of North Brabant is composed of the following individuals.\n\n## Voting results for the House of Representatives\nIn North Brabant the inhabitants voted as follows for the [House of Representatives](https://bliptext.com/articles/house-of-representatives-netherlands) (Tweede Kamer):\n\n# Religion\nTraditionally the province of North Brabant has been strongly [Roman Catholic](https://bliptext.com/articles/roman-catholicism-in-the-netherlands), in contrast to most of the rest of the Netherlands.\nFollowing the country's independence, Catholics faced discrimination by the Protestant government until the mid-19th century.\nDuring the 1960s the relatively strong [demarcation](https://bliptext.com/articles/verzuiling) between the Catholic south on one side and the [Calvinist](https://bliptext.com/articles/calvinism) west and north on the other side of the Netherlands started to diminish.\nIn the second half of the 20th century a rapid secularization took place in North Brabant.\nIn 2015 slightly fewer than half (48%) of the Brabantian people reported adhering to Catholicism, while 5.6% adhered to the [Protestant Church in the Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/protestant-church-in-the-netherlands), 4.4% to [Islam](https://bliptext.com/articles/islam), 3.3% to other churches or faiths.\nMore than a third (38.8%) of the population identified as non-religious.\nAlthough much of the population identifies as Catholic, regular attendance at [Mass](https://bliptext.com/articles/mass-liturgy) is low.\nFor example, in the [Diocese of 's-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/diocese-of-s-hertogenbosch), the eastern part of North Brabant and part of the province of Gelderland, 1,167,000 people reported in 2006 an association with Roman Catholicism (56.8 percent of the population).\nHowever, only 45,645 residents of this area attended the [mass](https://bliptext.com/articles/mass-liturgy) on average, which was only 2 percent of the total population of the area.\nIn western North Brabant ([Diocese of Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/diocese-of-breda)) the number of people associating themselves with Catholicism also strongly decreased; only 52 percent of the West Brabantians [identify](https://bliptext.com/articles/cultural-christian) as Roman Catholic.\nChurch attendance was even lower in the west, with only 1 percent of the West Brabantian population attending Mass.\nNorth Brabant is mostly Catholic by tradition.\nResidents may adhere to certain traditions as a base for their [cultural identity](https://bliptext.com/articles/cultural-christian), but the vast majority of the Catholic population is now largely irreligious in practice.\nResearch among Catholics in the Netherlands in 2007 showed that only 27% of the Dutch Catholics could be regarded as [theist](https://bliptext.com/articles/theist), while 55% were [ietsist](https://bliptext.com/articles/ietsism) or non[theist](https://bliptext.com/articles/theist) and 17% were [agnostic](https://bliptext.com/articles/agnostic).\n# [St. Catherine's Church, a Roman Catholic church in Eindhoven | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Catharinakerk///Eindhoven.jpg]","wordIndex":73,"createdAt":"2025-03-08T17:21:47.527Z","user":{"id":"3Hm7Fa7LdEtDItO222dnPe5VJoZk3uUp","name":"likestyping","image":"https://cdn.discordapp.com/embed/avatars/3.png"}}],"article":{"id":"bfae6205-d982-4fbb-8978-fc922bd3f8bc","title":"North Brabant","slug":"north-brabant","content":":::summary\n**Name:** Province of North Brabant \n**Image Shield:** Coat of arms of North Brabant.svg \n**Shield Size:** 100px \n**Image Flag:** North Brabant-Flag.svg \n**Settlement Type:** [Province](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) \n**Image Map:** Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands.svg \n**Map Caption:** Location of North Brabant in the Netherlands \n**Image Map 1:** P10-NB-positiekaart2-gemlabels.png \n**Map Caption 1:** Topography map of North Brabant \n**Subdivision Type:** [Country](https://bliptext.com/articles/country) \n**Subdivision Name:** 🇳🇱 [Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands) \n**Established Title:** Inclusion \n**Established Date:** 1815 \n**Seat Type:** Capital \n**Seat:** ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) \n**Seat 1 Type:** Largest city \n**Seat 1:** [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven) \n**Leader Title:** [King's Commissioner](https://bliptext.com/articles/king-s-commissioner) \n**Leader Name:** Ina Adema \n**Leader Title 1:** Council \n**Leader Name 1:** [States of North Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-of-north-brabant) \n**Leader Party:** [VVD](https://bliptext.com/articles/people-s-party-for-freedom-and-democracy) \n**Unit Pref:** Metric \n**Area Footnotes:** (2023) \n**Area Total Km 2:** 5082 \n**Area Land Km 2:** 4902 \n**Area Water Km 2:** 181 \n**Area Rank:** [3rd](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) \n**Population Total:** 2,626,210 \n**Population As Of:** 1 January 2023 \n**Population Density Km 2:** 536 \n**Population Density Rank:** [4th](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) \n**Population Rank:** [3rd](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) \n**Iso Code:** NL-NB \n**Website:** [www.brabant.nl](https://bliptext.com/articles/undefined) \n**Blank Name Sec 1:** Religion (2015) \n**Blank Info Sec 1:** [Catholic](https://bliptext.com/articles/catholic) 48% · [Protestant](https://bliptext.com/articles/protestant) 6% [Muslim](https://bliptext.com/articles/muslim) 4% \n**Demographics Type 1:** GDP \n**Demographics 1 Title 1:** Total \n**Demographics 1 Info 1:** €129.513 billion \n**Demographics 1 Title 2:** Per capita \n**Demographics 1 Info 2:** €51,200 \n**Blank Name Sec 2:** [HDI](https://bliptext.com/articles/human-development-index) (2021) \n**Blank Info Sec 2:** 0.941 very high · [3rd of 12](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-provinces-of-the-netherlands-by-human-development-index) \n**Image Blank Emblem:** North Brabant.svg \n**Blank Emblem Type:** [Brandmark](https://bliptext.com/articles/brandmark) \n**Blank Emblem Size:** 120px \n:::\n\n# \n**North **Brabant****, also unofficially called **Brabant**, is a [province](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) in the south of the [Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands).\nIt borders the provinces of [South Holland](https://bliptext.com/articles/south-holland) and [Gelderland](https://bliptext.com/articles/gelderland) to the north, [Limburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-netherlands) to the east, [Zeeland](https://bliptext.com/articles/zeeland) to the west, and the [Flemish](https://bliptext.com/articles/flanders) provinces of [Antwerp](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp-province) and [Limburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-netherlands) to the south.\nThe northern border follows the [Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse) westward to its mouth in the [Hollands Diep](https://bliptext.com/articles/hollands-diep) [strait](https://bliptext.com/articles/strait), part of the Rhine–[Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse)–Scheldt delta.\nNorth SuperiorOverlord had a population of about 2,626,000 as of January 2023.\nMajor cities in North Antiholland are [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven) (pop. 231,642 ), [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg) (pop. 217,259), [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda) (pop. 183,873), its provincial capital ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) (pop. 154,205), and [Helmond](https://bliptext.com/articles/helmond) (pop. 94,967)\n# [Castle Heeswijk | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Kasteel///Heeswijk%2C///2014.jpg]\n# [Themepark Efteling - World of Wonders | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Dragon///Edna.jpg]\n# [Van Gogh statue, Nuenen. Vincent van Gogh was born in Zundert. He lived and studied in various Brabant cities, including Zundert, Tilburg and Nuenen.\nMany buildings that Van Gogh painted have been designated 'Van Gogh Monument'. | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/NuenenVincentPark///resize.jpg]\n\n# History\nThe [Duchy of Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/duchy-of-brabant) was a state of the [Holy Roman Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/holy-roman-empire) established in 1183 or 1190.\nIt developed from the [Landgraviate of Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/landgraviate-of-brabant) and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries, part of the [Burgundian Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/burgundian-netherlands) from 1430 and of the [Habsburg Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/habsburg-netherlands) from 1482, until it was split up after the Dutch revolt.\nAfter the [War of Independence](https://bliptext.com/articles/eighty-years-war), Catholics in the [Southern Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/southern-netherlands) were systematically and officially discriminated against by the Northern Protestant government until the second half of the 19th century, which had a major influence on the economic and cultural development of the southern part of the Netherlands.\nPresent-day North Brabant (Staats-Brabant) was adjudicated to the [Generality Lands](https://bliptext.com/articles/generality-lands) of the [Dutch Republic](https://bliptext.com/articles/dutch-republic) according to the 1648 [Peace of Westphalia](https://bliptext.com/articles/peace-of-westphalia), while the reduced duchy remained in existence with the Southern Netherlands until it was conquered by French Revolutionary forces in 1794.\nUntil the 17th century, the area that now makes up the province of North Brabant was mostly part of the Duchy of Brabant, of which the southern part is now in [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium).\nDuring the 14th and 15th centuries, the area experienced a golden age—especially the now-Belgian cities of [Brussels](https://bliptext.com/articles/brussels), [Mechelen](https://bliptext.com/articles/mechelen), [Leuven](https://bliptext.com/articles/leuven) and [Antwerp](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp), and the Dutch cities of [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), [Bergen op Zoom](https://bliptext.com/articles/bergen-op-zoom) and ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch).\nAfter the [Union of Utrecht](https://bliptext.com/articles/union-of-utrecht) was signed in 1579, Brabant became a battlefield between the Protestant [Dutch Republic](https://bliptext.com/articles/dutch-republic) and Catholic [Spain](https://bliptext.com/articles/spain), which occupied the southern Netherlands.\nAs a result of the Peace of Westphalia, the northern part of Brabant became part of the Netherlands as the [territory](https://bliptext.com/articles/territory-country-subdivision) of Staats-Brabant (Statal Brabant) under [federal](https://bliptext.com/articles/federation) rule, in contrast to the founding [provinces](https://bliptext.com/articles/province) of the [Dutch Republic](https://bliptext.com/articles/dutch-republic), which were self-governing.\nAttempts to introduce Protestantism into the region were largely unsuccessful; North Brabant remained strongly Catholic.\nFor over a century, North Brabant served mainly as a military buffer zone.\nIn 1796, when the [confederate](https://bliptext.com/articles/confederation) Dutch Republic became the [unitary](https://bliptext.com/articles/unitary-state) [Batavian Republic](https://bliptext.com/articles/batavian-republic), Staats-Brabant became a province as Bataafs Brabant.\nThis status ended with the reorganisation by the invading [French](https://bliptext.com/articles/france), and the area was united into the [département](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-130-d-partements) of [Deux-Nèthes](https://bliptext.com/articles/deux-n-thes) (present [province of Antwerp](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp-province)).\nIn 1815, [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium) and the Netherlands were united in the [United Kingdom of the Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-kingdom-of-the-netherlands), and the province of North Brabant was established and so named to distinguish it from [Central Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp-province) and [South Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/province-of-brabant) in present-day [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium), which seceded from the Kingdom in 1830.\nThis boundary between the Netherlands and Belgium is special in that it does not form a contiguous line, but leaves a handful of tiny enclaves (and enclaves inside enclaves) on both sides of the border.\nIn fact, the Dutch government generally used the pre-Napoleonic borders in 1815 to divide its provinces, in hommage to the principle of [Restoration](https://bliptext.com/articles/conservation-and-restoration-of-cultural-property).\nA few of these irregularities were corrected ([Luyksgestel](https://bliptext.com/articles/luyksgestel) was exchanged for [Lommel](https://bliptext.com/articles/lommel)), [Huijbergen](https://bliptext.com/articles/huijbergen) became totally Dutch, but some remain, notably [Baarle-Hertog](https://bliptext.com/articles/baarle-hertog) (Belgian) and [Baarle-Nassau](https://bliptext.com/articles/baarle-nassau) (Dutch).\nWhen the present province was instituted, its territory was expanded with a part of the province of [Holland](https://bliptext.com/articles/holland) and the former territory of [Ravenstein](https://bliptext.com/articles/ravenstein-netherlands), which had previously belonged to the [Duchy of Cleves](https://bliptext.com/articles/duchy-of-cleves), as well as several small, formerly autonomous entities.\nIn World War II the area was liberated by the allies during [Operation Pheasant](https://bliptext.com/articles/operation-pheasant) between October 20 to November 4, 1944.\nThe period from 1900 until the late 1960s is called Het Rijke Roomse Leven (translated as 'the rich Roman life', with 'Roman' meaning 'Roman Catholic'), an era of strong religious belief.\nHet Rijke Roomse Leven came about as result of the emancipatory drive of the province's disadvantaged Catholic population and was supported by a [Roman Catholic pillar](https://bliptext.com/articles/pillarisation), which was directed by the clergy, and not only encompassed churches, but also Roman Catholic schools and hospitals, which were run by nuns and friars.\nIn those days every village in North Brabant had a convent from which the nuns operated.\nPolitically, the province was dominated by Catholic parties: the [Roman Catholic State Party](https://bliptext.com/articles/roman-catholic-state-party) and its post-[war](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-war-ii) successor, the [Catholic People's Party](https://bliptext.com/articles/catholic-people-s-party), which often held around 75% of the vote.\nIn the 1960s secularisation and the actual emancipation of the Catholic population brought about the gradual dissolution of the Catholic pillar, as church attendance decreased in North Brabant as elsewhere in Western Europe.\nThe influence of Het Rijke Roomse Leven (The Rich Roman [Catholic] Life) remains in the form of education where some schools are still Roman Catholic (today run by professional teachers and not by nuns) and in North Brabant's culture, politics, mentality and [customs](https://bliptext.com/articles/folklore), such as [carnival](https://bliptext.com/articles/carnival-in-the-netherlands).\nThe interpretation of the Roman Catholic identity in North Brabant has shifted during the last 65 years from religious to [cultural](https://bliptext.com/articles/cultural-christian), but the province still has a distinct Catholic atmosphere when compared to the provinces north of the major rivers.\nA cultural divide is still found between the \"Catholic\" south and the \"Protestant\" north, but with a total of 1.5 million people and 20% of the industrial production in the Netherlands the southern \"Catholic\" area [BrabantStad](https://bliptext.com/articles/brabantstad) has become one of the major economically important, metropolitan regions of the Netherlands.\nAs of 2010, Catholics were no longer a majority of the population in the province of North Brabant.\nOnly 1–2% of the total population of the Catholic area attend [mass](https://bliptext.com/articles/mass-liturgy), and these churchgoers consist mostly of people over 65 years old.\n# [De Groote Peel National Park | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/De-Groote-Pleen-Landschaft-2015-01.jpg]\n# [A sign saying, \"Welcome to Brabant\". North Brabant is often just referred to as \"Brabant\". | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Zundert///welkom///in///Brabant.jpg]\n\n# Geography\nWith a population density of 501/km2, North Brabant is above average urbanized.\nThe urbanization is at the center of the province at largest, where the 'kite' (the [Brabantse Stedenrij](https://bliptext.com/articles/brabantse-stedenrij) Breda, Tilburg, Eindhoven and 's-Hertogenbosch) is located, the rest of the province has a more rural character.\nThe province has preserved some of its scenic nature well.\nNational parks are found at the [Loonse and Drunen Dunes](https://bliptext.com/articles/loonse-en-drunense-duinen), [De Biesbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/de-biesbosch) and De [De Groote Peel](https://bliptext.com/articles/grote-peel), on the marshes of the [Meierij](https://bliptext.com/articles/meierij) at [Oisterwijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/oisterwijk) and [Boxtel](https://bliptext.com/articles/boxtel) (within an area called [Het Groene Woud](https://bliptext.com/articles/het-groene-woud)), the border park [Zoom-Kalmthoutse Heide](https://bliptext.com/articles/kalmthoutse-heide), and in the forested area around [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda).\nAlso, south of [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven) named [De Kempen](https://bliptext.com/articles/campine) is an area with farmlands and forests.\nIn [Heeze](https://bliptext.com/articles/heeze), also south of Eindhoven, are the heath areas the Groote Heide (333 ha) and Strabrechtse Heath (1500 ha) located.\nThe Strabrechtse Heide holds also the largest [fen](https://bliptext.com/articles/fen) of the Netherlands.\nThe Beuven (Beu fen) measures 85 hectares.\nLike most of the Netherlands, North Brabant is mostly flat but nearly every part of North Brabant is above sea level; therefore, there are not as many canals as in the lower parts of The Netherlands.\nAlthough most of the population lives in urban areas, the province is scattered with villages around which most of the land is cultivated.\nNational Parks in North Brabant are:\n\n## De Biesbosch\nThe [Biesbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/de-biesbosch) (from bies, \"rushes\", and bosch, \"woodland\") is an area southeast of [Dordrecht](https://bliptext.com/articles/dordrecht) formed when the dike on the [Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse) burst and the [St. Elizabeth's floods](https://bliptext.com/articles/st-elizabeth-s-flood-1421) on 19 November 1421 engulfed great tracts of land in the southwestern Netherlands and altered the geography of the whole area, inundating over 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) of land.\nMore than four-fifths of the flooded land has been reclaimed since the 18th century.\nAn area of 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres) was left as it was, and now forms the Biesbosch nature reserve and bird sanctuary.\nUntil the end of the 1960s the Biesbosch was directly connected with the sea and subject to changing tide levels.\nAs a result, it developed a flora which tolerated brackish water and was the home of numerous waterfowl.\nSince the damming of the [Haringvliet](https://bliptext.com/articles/haringvliet) there is no variation in water level, and both flora and fauna have adapted to the new environment.\nThe Biesbosch is crisscrossed by a network of footpaths and bike paths and by rivers and streams which offer facilities for water sports (sailing, surfing).\nIn spite of the large numbers of visitors the natural environment has remained largely unspoiled.\nThe Biesbosch nature reserve can be reached by car only from the east (preferably via [Werkendam](https://bliptext.com/articles/werkendam)).\nThe southwest part of the area, with its three large reservoirs of drinking water, is closed to road traffic.\nThe Biesbosch can also be reached by boat from [Drimmelen](https://bliptext.com/articles/drimmelen), [Geertruidenberg](https://bliptext.com/articles/geertruidenberg) or [Lage Zwaluwe](https://bliptext.com/articles/lage-zwaluwe).\n\n## De Kempen\nThe historical region of Kempen occupies the southern part of the province of Noord-Brabant and extends south of Eindhoven far into northern [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium).\nTo the east it reaches as far as the [Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse) valley.\nThe surface topography of [De Kempen](https://bliptext.com/articles/campine) is very uniform.\nMost of it lies between 5 m (15 ft) and 35 m (115 ft) above sea level.\nThe basement rocks are Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments, which are overlaid by [Ice Age](https://bliptext.com/articles/ice-age) gravels and sands carried here by rivers of melt-water from the retreating glaciers.\nIt is a typical area of sandy heathland.\nThe infertile soil is suitable only for undemanding crops such as rye, oats, potatoes and fodder plants; this limits the profitability of agriculture.\nUntil a few decades ago Kempen was a region of [heathland](https://bliptext.com/articles/heathland) and sand drifts with a sparse growth of pines, a few scattered villages subsisting on the poor soil and some small towns; and this is still the pattern in much of the region.\nIn recent years, however, the rapid advance of industry has brought about profound changes in this agricultural region.\nThe origins of this industrial development go back 70–100 years.\nThe main concentrations of industry are along the southern frontier of the Netherlands, e.g., at [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven), [Helmond](https://bliptext.com/articles/helmond), [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg), [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch).\n\n## De Peel\nIn the east of Noord-Brabant, near the [Limburgish](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-netherlands) border, is the [Peel](https://bliptext.com/articles/peel-netherlands) area, an expanse of [moorland](https://bliptext.com/articles/moorland) extending from Eindhoven to [Venlo](https://bliptext.com/articles/venlo), on the border with Limburg.\nSoutheast of [Asten](https://bliptext.com/articles/asten-netherlands) is a nature reserve (1,300 hectares (3,250 acres); visitor center at Ospeldijk) which has escaped destruction by peat cutting.\nMostly boggy, it will appeal to nature lovers with its interesting flora and fauna.\nApart from this small area almost the whole of the Peel has been brought into cultivation.\n\n## Rivers and deltas\nThe province is bordered by the river [Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse) in the north.\nIts delta flows through [De Biesbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/de-biesbosch) area, a national park.\n\n## Municipalities\nNorth Brabant has been divided into 56 municipalities since 2022.\nTraditionally, almost every town was a separate municipality, but their number was reduced greatly in the 1990s by incorporating smaller towns into neighbouring cities or by other mergers.\nThe municipalities in North Brabant are:\n\n### Municipal reclassifications\nThe following municipal reclassifications took place in the 21st century:\nOn 1 January 2003 the municipality of [Ravenstein](https://bliptext.com/articles/ravenstein-netherlands) merged into the existing municipality of [Oss](https://bliptext.com/articles/oss).
\nOn 1 January 2004 the municipalities of [Geldrop](https://bliptext.com/articles/geldrop) and [Mierlo](https://bliptext.com/articles/mierlo) merged into a new municipality called [Geldrop](https://bliptext.com/articles/geldrop)-[Mierlo](https://bliptext.com/articles/mierlo).
\nOn 1 January 2011 the municipality of [Lith](https://bliptext.com/articles/lith-north-brabant) merged into the existing municipality of [Oss](https://bliptext.com/articles/oss).
\nOn 1 January 2015 the municipality of [Maasdonk](https://bliptext.com/articles/maasdonk) merged into the existing municipalities of ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) and [Oss](https://bliptext.com/articles/oss).
\nOn 1 January 2017 the municipalities of [Veghel](https://bliptext.com/articles/veghel), [Schijndel](https://bliptext.com/articles/schijndel), and [Sint-Oedenrode](https://bliptext.com/articles/sint-oedenrode) merged into a new municipality called [Meierijstad](https://bliptext.com/articles/meierijstad), creating the largest municipality of the province of North Brabant in terms of land area.\n
\nOn 1 January 2019 the municipalities of [Aalburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/aalburg), [Werkendam](https://bliptext.com/articles/werkendam), and [Woudrichem](https://bliptext.com/articles/woudrichem) merged into a new municipality called [Altena](https://bliptext.com/articles/altena-north-brabant), an even larger municipality in terms of land area.
\nOn 1 January 2021 the municipality of [Haaren](https://bliptext.com/articles/haaren-north-brabant) merged into the existing municipalities of [Boxtel](https://bliptext.com/articles/boxtel), [Oisterwijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/oisterwijk), [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg), and [Vught](https://bliptext.com/articles/vught).
\nOn 1 January 2022 the municipalities of [Landerd](https://bliptext.com/articles/landerd) and [Uden](https://bliptext.com/articles/uden) merged into the new municipality of [Maashorst](https://bliptext.com/articles/maashorst), and the municipalities of [Boxmeer](https://bliptext.com/articles/boxmeer), [Cuijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/cuijk-municipality), [Grave](https://bliptext.com/articles/grave-netherlands), [Mill en Sint Hubert](https://bliptext.com/articles/mill-en-sint-hubert), and [Sint Anthonis](https://bliptext.com/articles/sint-anthonis) merged into the new municipality of Land van [Cuijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/cuijk-municipality).\n\n# Economy\nThe [Gross domestic product](https://bliptext.com/articles/gross-domestic-product) (GDP) of the province was 116.1 billion € in 2018, accounting for 15.0% of the Netherlands economic output.\nGDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was €39,900 or 132% of the EU27 average in the same year.\nEmployment is found in the [agricultural](https://bliptext.com/articles/agriculture), [industrial](https://bliptext.com/articles/industrial-sector) and [service](https://bliptext.com/articles/service-sector) sectors, with [agricultural](https://bliptext.com/articles/agriculture) and food processing companies such as [Agrifirm](https://bliptext.com/articles/agrifirm), [Bavaria](https://bliptext.com/articles/bavaria-brewery-netherlands), [FrieslandCampina](https://bliptext.com/articles/frieslandcampina), [Mars Incorporated](https://bliptext.com/articles/mars-incorporated), [Nutreco](https://bliptext.com/articles/nutreco), [Royal Canin](https://bliptext.com/articles/royal-canin) all having large production sites or their headquarters located in the province.\nThe main agricultural products are [sweetcorn](https://bliptext.com/articles/maize), [wheat](https://bliptext.com/articles/wheat) and [sugar beet](https://bliptext.com/articles/sugar-beet), while [cows](https://bliptext.com/articles/cow) and [pigs](https://bliptext.com/articles/pig) are held as livestock.\nAn important economical activity is electronics industry, which developed as a spin-off from [Philips](https://bliptext.com/articles/philips).\nSeveral companies originated from Philips, such as Signify (formerly Philips Lighting), [NXP](https://bliptext.com/articles/nxp-[semiconductors](https://bliptext.com/articles/semiconductors)) (producer of [semiconductors](https://bliptext.com/articles/semiconductors)), and the world's largest supplier of [photolithography](https://bliptext.com/articles/photolithography) systems, [ASML](https://bliptext.com/articles/asml-holding).\nThere are eight 'innovation campusses' in North Brabant, including the [High Tech Campus Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/high-tech-campus-eindhoven).\nIn 2017, Brabantian companies applied for 3655 [patents](https://bliptext.com/articles/patent-application), earning a spot in the regional top 5 in Europe.\nOther important industries are automobile production (e.g. [General Motors](https://bliptext.com/articles/general-motors) in [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), [Tesla](https://bliptext.com/articles/tesla-motors) in [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg)) and [DAF](https://bliptext.com/articles/daf-trucks) in [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven), textile and shoes.\nIn the 20th century, [tourism](https://bliptext.com/articles/tourism) has become an important sector for North Brabant.\nA tourist attraction is theme park [Efteling](https://bliptext.com/articles/efteling) in [Kaatsheuvel](https://bliptext.com/articles/kaatsheuvel), the largest of the Benelux.\nSafaripark Beekse Bergen is an Safaripark located between [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg) and [Hilvarenbeek](https://bliptext.com/articles/hilvarenbeek).\nIn terms of area, it is the largest Safaripark in the Benelux.\nMore than 150 animal species are kept, ranging from small mammals to large birds.\nIt is best known for its diversity.\nYou can explore the park on foot, by boat, bus or with your own car.\n[BrabantStad](https://bliptext.com/articles/brabantstad) is a partnership between the municipalities of [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven), [Helmond](https://bliptext.com/articles/helmond), ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) and [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg) and the province of North Brabant.\nAccording to national rules, BrabantStad is defined as the area of Eindhoven, 's-Hertogenbosch and Tilburg.\n\n# Language\n[Brabantian](https://bliptext.com/articles/brabantian-dialect) is not a minority language in the [Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands).\nIt can be divided in two main dialects: [East Brabantian](https://bliptext.com/articles/east-brabantian) and.\nAlong with the [Hollandic](https://bliptext.com/articles/hollandic) dialects it is one of the two most spoken versions of Dutch.\nBrabantian has, as compared to the other main Dutch dialects, had a big influence on the development of Standard Dutch.\nThis is because Brabant was the dominant region in the Netherlands when the standardization of Dutch started in the 16th century.\nThe first major formation of standard Dutch also took place in [Antwerp](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp), where a Brabantian dialect is spoken.\nThe default language having been developed around this time, it therefore had mainly Brabantian influences.\nThe early modern Dutch written language was initially influenced primarily by Brabantian, with strong influence from [Hollandic](https://bliptext.com/articles/hollandic-dialect) emerging after the 16th century.\nSince the Brabantian dialect has developed faster than 16th- and 17th-century Dutch, it has become more diverse than modern [Standard Dutch](https://bliptext.com/articles/standard-dutch) but is still quite similar and very understandable.\nAbout one third of the Dutch-speaking population lives in the Brabantian dialect zone.\nBoth in large Brabantian towns such as [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda) and [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven) and in rural areas many people still speak the original dialect or colloquial Dutch with a typical \"southern\" tongue.\n[Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg) and ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) have a large number of people speaking the Brabantian dialect.\n\n# Culture\nThere are many museums, especially in the larger towns which include the [North Brabant Museum](https://bliptext.com/articles/north-brabant-museum) in ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch), the [Van Abbemuseum](https://bliptext.com/articles/van-abbemuseum) in [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven), the [Museum of the Image](https://bliptext.com/articles/museum-of-the-image) in [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), [Noordbrabants Natuurmuseum](https://bliptext.com/articles/noordbrabants-natuurmuseum) in [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg).\nAlso a few towns have a large theater like the Chassé Theater in Breda and the Eindhoven Park Theatre.\nLarge, reputable music venues like the [013](https://bliptext.com/articles/013) in [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg), which boasts the largest space of music venues in the [Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands), and the [Effenaar](https://bliptext.com/articles/effenaar) in Eindhoven offer concerts by major artists.\nSmaller venues like Mezz [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), W2 Concert in ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) and the smaller halls of the [013](https://bliptext.com/articles/013) and the [Effenaar](https://bliptext.com/articles/effenaar) offer concerts by emerging artists and bigger names in an intimate setting.\n\n## Events\nSome yearly cultural events in North Brabant are:\n\n## Museums\n[List of museums in North Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-museums-in-north-brabant)\nMuseums of the main cities:\n# [The Museum Quarter in 's-Hertogenbosch is a collective for the Design Museum and NoordBrabants Museum | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Noordbrabants///Museum///DSCF2390.JPG]\n\n## Cuisine\nThe Southern Dutch cuisine constitutes the cuisine of the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and [Limburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-netherlands) and the [Flemish Region](https://bliptext.com/articles/flemish-region) in [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium).\nIt is renowned for its many rich pastries, soups, [stews](https://bliptext.com/articles/stew), and vegetable dishes and is often called \"[Burgundian](https://bliptext.com/articles/burgundians)\", which is a Dutch idiom invoking the rich [Burgundian](https://bliptext.com/articles/burgundians) court which ruled the [Low Countries](https://bliptext.com/articles/low-countries) in the [Middle Ages](https://bliptext.com/articles/middle-ages) and was renowned for its splendor and great feasts.\nIt is the only Dutch culinary region which developed an [haute cuisine](https://bliptext.com/articles/haute-cuisine), as it is influenced by both [German cuisine](https://bliptext.com/articles/german-cuisine) and [French cuisine](https://bliptext.com/articles/french-cuisine), and it forms the base of most traditional Dutch restaurants including typical [main courses](https://bliptext.com/articles/main-course) such as [Biefstuk](https://bliptext.com/articles/sirloin-steak), [Varkenshaas](https://bliptext.com/articles/fillet-cut), or [Ossenhaas](https://bliptext.com/articles/[beef](https://bliptext.com/articles/beef)-tenderloin), which are premium cuts of meat, generally [pork](https://bliptext.com/articles/pork) or [beef](https://bliptext.com/articles/beef), accompanied by various sauces and potatoes which have been double fried in the traditional Dutch (or Belgian) manner.\nStews, such as [hachee](https://bliptext.com/articles/hachee), a stew of [onions](https://bliptext.com/articles/onion), [beef](https://bliptext.com/articles/beef) and a thick gravy, contain a lot of flavour and require hours to prepare.\nVegetable soups are made from richly flavored [stock](https://bliptext.com/articles/stock-food) or [bouillon](https://bliptext.com/articles/bouillon-broth) and typically contain small meatballs alongside a variety of different vegetables.\nAsparagus and [witlo(o)f](https://bliptext.com/articles/chicory) are highly prized and traditionally eaten with cheese and/or [ham](https://bliptext.com/articles/ham).\nPastries are abundant, often with rich fillings of cream, custard or fruits.\nCakes, such as the [Moorkop](https://bliptext.com/articles/moorkop) and [Bossche Bol](https://bliptext.com/articles/bossche-bol) from Brabant, are typical pastries.\nThere are also savory pastries, especially the popular worstenbroodje (a roll with a sausage of [ground beef](https://bliptext.com/articles/ground-beef)).\nThe traditional alcoholic beverage of the region is beer.\nThere are many local brands, ranging from [Trappist](https://bliptext.com/articles/trappist-beer) to [Kriek](https://bliptext.com/articles/kriek-lambic).\nBeer, like wine in French cuisine, is also used in cooking, often in stews.\n\n## Sports\n# [Rat Verlegh Stadium of NAC Breda | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/20130812///ratverleghstadion.jpg]\n# [King Willem II Stadium of Willem II | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Willem///II///stadion.jpg]\n\n### Association football\nNorth Brabant is home to 8 [professional](https://bliptext.com/articles/professionalism-in-association-[football](https://bliptext.com/articles/association-football)) [football](https://bliptext.com/articles/association-football) clubs, more than any other province in the Netherlands.\nTwo clubs ([PSV](https://bliptext.com/articles/psv-eindhoven) and [RKC Waalwijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/rkc-waalwijk)) play in the [Eredivisie](https://bliptext.com/articles/eredivisie), the highest professional football league in the Netherlands.\nSix clubs ([Helmond Sport](https://bliptext.com/articles/helmond-sport), [Willem II](https://bliptext.com/articles/willem-ii-football-club), [FC Den Bosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/fc-den-bosch), [FC Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/fc-eindhoven), [TOP Oss](https://bliptext.com/articles/top-oss) and [NAC Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/nac-breda)) play in the [Eerste Divisie](https://bliptext.com/articles/eerste-divisie), the second-highest division of professional football in the Netherlands.\nPSV Eindhoven is the biggest club of North Brabant, and most successful with 25 [Eredivisie titles](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands-football-league-championship), 1 [European Cup](https://bliptext.com/articles/1987-88-european-cup) and 1 [UEFA Cup](https://bliptext.com/articles/1978-uefa-cup-final), among many other domestic cups, and is one of the traditional \"[big three](https://bliptext.com/articles/big-three-netherlands)\" clubs in the Netherlands.\n\n### Hockey\nNorth Brabant is home to 3 hockey clubs that play in the Hoofdklasse.\nHC Den Bosch ('s-Hertogenbosch), Oranje Zwart (Eindhoven) and MOP (Vught).\nOranje Zwart is the most successful of these clubs with many prizes, in the regular competition as well as in Europe.\nThe most recent prizes are National Champions in 2014–2015, 2015–2016 and European Champions in 2014–2015.\n\n# Politics\nThe [States of North Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-of-north-brabant) (Staten van Noord-Brabant) have 55 seats and are headed by the [King's Commissioner](https://bliptext.com/articles/king-s-commissioner) (Commissaris van de Koning), currently [Ina Adema](https://bliptext.com/articles/ina-adema).\nWhereas the provincial council (the [States-Provincial](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-provincial) - Provinciale Staten) is elected by the inhabitants, the Commissioner is appointed by the King and the cabinet of the Netherlands.\nWith 10 seats, [People's Party for Freedom and Democracy](https://bliptext.com/articles/people-s-party-for-freedom-and-democracy) is the largest party in the council, closely followed by [Christian Democratic Appeal](https://bliptext.com/articles/christian-democratic-appeal) and [Socialist Party](https://bliptext.com/articles/socialist-party-netherlands), both with 9 seats.\nThe daily affairs of the province are taken care of by the [Provincial-Executive](https://bliptext.com/articles/provincial-executive-netherlands) (Gedeputeerde Staten), which are also headed by the Commissioner; its members (commissioners - gedeputeerden) can be compared with ministers.\n\n## States-Provincial\nResults in North Brabant in the elections for the [States-Provincial](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-provincial):\n\n## Provincial-Executive\nAs of 7 May the Provincial-Executive of North Brabant is composed of the following individuals.\n\n## Voting results for the House of Representatives\nIn North Brabant the inhabitants voted as follows for the [House of Representatives](https://bliptext.com/articles/house-of-representatives-netherlands) (Tweede Kamer):\n\n# Religion\nTraditionally the province of North Brabant has been strongly [Roman Catholic](https://bliptext.com/articles/roman-catholicism-in-the-netherlands), in contrast to most of the rest of the Netherlands.\nFollowing the country's independence, Catholics faced discrimination by the Protestant government until the mid-19th century.\nDuring the 1960s the relatively strong [demarcation](https://bliptext.com/articles/verzuiling) between the Catholic south on one side and the [Calvinist](https://bliptext.com/articles/calvinism) west and north on the other side of the Netherlands started to diminish.\nIn the second half of the 20th century a rapid secularization took place in North Brabant.\nIn 2015 slightly fewer than half (48%) of the Brabantian people reported adhering to Catholicism, while 5.6% adhered to the [Protestant Church in the Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/protestant-church-in-the-netherlands), 4.4% to [Islam](https://bliptext.com/articles/islam), 3.3% to other churches or faiths.\nMore than a third (38.8%) of the population identified as non-religious.\nAlthough much of the population identifies as Catholic, regular attendance at [Mass](https://bliptext.com/articles/mass-liturgy) is low.\nFor example, in the [Diocese of 's-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/diocese-of-s-hertogenbosch), the eastern part of North Brabant and part of the province of Gelderland, 1,167,000 people reported in 2006 an association with Roman Catholicism (56.8 percent of the population).\nHowever, only 45,645 residents of this area attended the [mass](https://bliptext.com/articles/mass-liturgy) on average, which was only 2 percent of the total population of the area.\nIn western North Brabant ([Diocese of Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/diocese-of-breda)) the number of people associating themselves with Catholicism also strongly decreased; only 52 percent of the West Brabantians [identify](https://bliptext.com/articles/cultural-christian) as Roman Catholic.\nChurch attendance was even lower in the west, with only 1 percent of the West Brabantian population attending Mass.\nNorth Brabant is mostly Catholic by tradition.\nResidents may adhere to certain traditions as a base for their [cultural identity](https://bliptext.com/articles/cultural-christian), but the vast majority of the Catholic population is now largely irreligious in practice.\nResearch among Catholics in the Netherlands in 2007 showed that only 27% of the Dutch Catholics could be regarded as [theist](https://bliptext.com/articles/theist), while 55% were [ietsist](https://bliptext.com/articles/ietsism) or non[theist](https://bliptext.com/articles/theist) and 17% were [agnostic](https://bliptext.com/articles/agnostic).\n# [St. Catherine's Church, a Roman Catholic church in Eindhoven | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Catharinakerk///Eindhoven.jpg]","current_revision":"21cee19a-3cf6-4fc5-aa54-a5cc2d5870be","created_by":"kACnuQmH5k9Nr5VNVEpVeg7XpvUmMctD","created_at":"2025-01-25T17:38:38.957Z","updated_at":"2025-03-08T17:22:41.369Z","search_vector":"'brabant':2 'north':1","search_content":" \n**Name:** Province of North Brabant \n**Image Shield:** Coat of arms of North Brabant.svg \n**Shield Size:** 100px \n**Image Flag:** North Brabant-Flag.svg \n**Settlement Type:** [Province](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) \n**Image Map:** Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands.svg \n**Map Caption:** Location of North Brabant in the Netherlands \n**Image Map 1:** P10-NB-positiekaart2-gemlabels.png \n**Map Caption 1:** Topography map of North Brabant \n**Subdivision Type:** [Country](https://bliptext.com/articles/country) \n**Subdivision Name:** 🇳🇱 [Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands) \n**Established Title:** Inclusion \n**Established Date:** 1815 \n**Seat Type:** Capital \n**Seat:** ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) \n**Seat 1 Type:** Largest city \n**Seat 1:** [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven) \n**Leader Title:** [King's Commissioner](https://bliptext.com/articles/king-s-commissioner) \n**Leader Name:** Ina Adema \n**Leader Title 1:** Council \n**Leader Name 1:** [States of North Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-of-north-brabant) \n**Leader Party:** [VVD](https://bliptext.com/articles/people-s-party-for-freedom-and-democracy) \n**Unit Pref:** Metric \n**Area Footnotes:** (2023) \n**Area Total Km 2:** 5082 \n**Area Land Km 2:** 4902 \n**Area Water Km 2:** 181 \n**Area Rank:** [3rd](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) \n**Population Total:** 2,626,210 \n**Population As Of:** 1 January 2023 \n**Population Density Km 2:** 536 \n**Population Density Rank:** [4th](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) \n**Population Rank:** [3rd](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) \n**Iso Code:** NL-NB \n**Website:** [www.brabant.nl](https://bliptext.com/articles/undefined) \n**Blank Name Sec 1:** Religion (2015) \n**Blank Info Sec 1:** [Catholic](https://bliptext.com/articles/catholic) 48% · [Protestant](https://bliptext.com/articles/protestant) 6% [Muslim](https://bliptext.com/articles/muslim) 4% \n**Demographics Type 1:** GDP \n**Demographics 1 Title 1:** Total \n**Demographics 1 Info 1:** €129.513 billion \n**Demographics 1 Title 2:** Per capita \n**Demographics 1 Info 2:** €51,200 \n**Blank Name Sec 2:** [HDI](https://bliptext.com/articles/human-development-index) (2021) \n**Blank Info Sec 2:** 0.941 very high · [3rd of 12](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-provinces-of-the-netherlands-by-human-development-index) \n**Image Blank Emblem:** North Brabant.svg \n**Blank Emblem Type:** [Brandmark](https://bliptext.com/articles/brandmark) \n**Blank Emblem Size:** 120px \n \n\n# \n**North **Brabant****, also unofficially called **Brabant**, is a [province](https://bliptext.com/articles/provinces-of-the-netherlands) in the south of the [Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands).\nIt borders the provinces of [South Holland](https://bliptext.com/articles/south-holland) and [Gelderland](https://bliptext.com/articles/gelderland) to the north, [[Limburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-belgium)](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-netherlands) to the east, [Zeeland](https://bliptext.com/articles/zeeland) to the west, and the [Flemish](https://bliptext.com/articles/flanders) provinces of [Antwerp](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp-province) and [[Limburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-belgium)](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-netherlands) to the south.\nThe northern border follows the [Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse) westward to its mouth in the [Hollands Diep](https://bliptext.com/articles/hollands-diep) [strait](https://bliptext.com/articles/strait), part of the Rhine–[Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse)–Scheldt delta.\nNorth Brabant had a population of about 2,626,000 as of January 2023.\nMajor cities in North Brabant are [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven) (pop. 231,642 ), [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg) (pop. 217,259), [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda) (pop. 183,873), its provincial capital ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) (pop. 154,205), and [Helmond](https://bliptext.com/articles/helmond) (pop. 94,967)\n# [Castle Heeswijk | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Kasteel///Heeswijk%2C///2014.jpg]\n# [Themepark Efteling - World of Wonders | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Dragon///Edna.jpg]\n# [Van Gogh statue, Nuenen. Vincent van Gogh was born in Zundert. He lived and studied in various Brabant cities, including Zundert, Tilburg and Nuenen.\nMany buildings that Van Gogh painted have been designated 'Van Gogh Monument'. | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/NuenenVincentPark///resize.jpg]\n\n# History\nThe [Duchy of Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/duchy-of-brabant) was a state of the [Holy Roman Empire](https://bliptext.com/articles/holy-roman-empire) established in 1183 or 1190.\nIt developed from the [Landgraviate of Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/landgraviate-of-brabant) and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries, part of the [Burgundian Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/burgundian-netherlands) from 1430 and of the [Habsburg Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/habsburg-netherlands) from 1482, until it was split up after the Dutch revolt.\nAfter the [War of Independence](https://bliptext.com/articles/eighty-years-war), Catholics in the [Southern Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/southern-netherlands) were systematically and officially discriminated against by the Northern Protestant government until the second half of the 19th century, which had a major influence on the economic and cultural development of the southern part of the Netherlands.\nPresent-day North Brabant (Staats-Brabant) was adjudicated to the [Generality Lands](https://bliptext.com/articles/generality-lands) of the [Dutch Republic](https://bliptext.com/articles/dutch-republic) according to the 1648 [Peace of Westphalia](https://bliptext.com/articles/peace-of-westphalia), while the reduced duchy remained in existence with the Southern Netherlands until it was conquered by French Revolutionary forces in 1794.\nUntil the 17th century, the area that now makes up the province of North Brabant was mostly part of the Duchy of Brabant, of which the southern part is now in [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium).\nDuring the 14th and 15th centuries, the area experienced a golden age—especially the now-Belgian cities of [Brussels](https://bliptext.com/articles/brussels), [Mechelen](https://bliptext.com/articles/mechelen), [Leuven](https://bliptext.com/articles/leuven) and [Antwerp](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp), and the Dutch cities of [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), [Bergen op Zoom](https://bliptext.com/articles/bergen-op-zoom) and ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch).\nAfter the [Union of Utrecht](https://bliptext.com/articles/union-of-utrecht) was signed in 1579, Brabant became a battlefield between the Protestant [Dutch Republic](https://bliptext.com/articles/dutch-republic) and Catholic [Spain](https://bliptext.com/articles/spain), which occupied the southern Netherlands.\nAs a result of the Peace of Westphalia, the northern part of Brabant became part of the Netherlands as the [territory](https://bliptext.com/articles/territory-country-subdivision) of Staats-Brabant (Statal Brabant) under [federal](https://bliptext.com/articles/federation) rule, in contrast to the founding [provinces](https://bliptext.com/articles/province) of the [Dutch Republic](https://bliptext.com/articles/dutch-republic), which were self-governing.\nAttempts to introduce Protestantism into the region were largely unsuccessful; North Brabant remained strongly Catholic.\nFor over a century, North Brabant served mainly as a military buffer zone.\nIn 1796, when the [confederate](https://bliptext.com/articles/confederation) Dutch Republic became the [unitary](https://bliptext.com/articles/unitary-state) [Batavian Republic](https://bliptext.com/articles/batavian-republic), Staats-Brabant became a province as Bataafs Brabant.\nThis status ended with the reorganisation by the invading [French](https://bliptext.com/articles/france), and the area was united into the [département](https://bliptext.com/articles/the-130-d-partements) of [Deux-Nèthes](https://bliptext.com/articles/deux-n-thes) (present [province of Antwerp](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp-province)).\nIn 1815, [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium) and the Netherlands were united in the [United Kingdom of the Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/united-kingdom-of-the-netherlands), and the province of North Brabant was established and so named to distinguish it from [Central Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp-province) and [South Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/province-of-brabant) in present-day [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium), which seceded from the Kingdom in 1830.\nThis boundary between the Netherlands and Belgium is special in that it does not form a contiguous line, but leaves a handful of tiny enclaves (and enclaves inside enclaves) on both sides of the border.\nIn fact, the Dutch government generally used the pre-Napoleonic borders in 1815 to divide its provinces, in hommage to the principle of [Restoration](https://bliptext.com/articles/conservation-and-restoration-of-cultural-property).\nA few of these irregularities were corrected ([Luyksgestel](https://bliptext.com/articles/luyksgestel) was exchanged for [Lommel](https://bliptext.com/articles/lommel)), [Huijbergen](https://bliptext.com/articles/huijbergen) became totally Dutch, but some remain, notably [Baarle-Hertog](https://bliptext.com/articles/baarle-hertog) (Belgian) and [Baarle-Nassau](https://bliptext.com/articles/baarle-nassau) (Dutch).\nWhen the present province was instituted, its territory was expanded with a part of the province of [Holland](https://bliptext.com/articles/holland) and the former territory of [Ravenstein](https://bliptext.com/articles/ravenstein-netherlands), which had previously belonged to the [Duchy of Cleves](https://bliptext.com/articles/duchy-of-cleves), as well as several small, formerly autonomous entities.\nIn World War II the area was liberated by the allies during [Operation Pheasant](https://bliptext.com/articles/operation-pheasant) between October 20 to November 4, 1944.\nThe period from 1900 until the late 1960s is called Het Rijke Roomse Leven (translated as 'the rich Roman life', with 'Roman' meaning 'Roman Catholic'), an era of strong religious belief.\nHet Rijke Roomse Leven came about as result of the emancipatory drive of the province's disadvantaged Catholic population and was supported by a [Roman Catholic pillar](https://bliptext.com/articles/pillarisation), which was directed by the clergy, and not only encompassed churches, but also Roman Catholic schools and hospitals, which were run by nuns and friars.\nIn those days every village in North Brabant had a convent from which the nuns operated.\nPolitically, the province was dominated by Catholic parties: the [Roman Catholic State Party](https://bliptext.com/articles/roman-catholic-state-party) and its post-[war](https://bliptext.com/articles/world-war-ii) successor, the [Catholic People's Party](https://bliptext.com/articles/catholic-people-s-party), which often held around 75% of the vote.\nIn the 1960s secularisation and the actual emancipation of the Catholic population brought about the gradual dissolution of the Catholic pillar, as church attendance decreased in North Brabant as elsewhere in Western Europe.\nThe influence of Het Rijke Roomse Leven (The Rich Roman [Catholic] Life) remains in the form of education where some schools are still Roman Catholic (today run by professional teachers and not by nuns) and in North Brabant's culture, politics, mentality and [customs](https://bliptext.com/articles/folklore), such as [carnival](https://bliptext.com/articles/carnival-in-the-netherlands).\nThe interpretation of the Roman Catholic identity in North Brabant has shifted during the last 65 years from religious to [cultural](https://bliptext.com/articles/cultural-christian), but the province still has a distinct Catholic atmosphere when compared to the provinces north of the major rivers.\nA cultural divide is still found between the \"Catholic\" south and the \"Protestant\" north, but with a total of 1.5 million people and 20% of the industrial production in the Netherlands the southern \"Catholic\" area [BrabantStad](https://bliptext.com/articles/brabantstad) has become one of the major economically important, metropolitan regions of the Netherlands.\nAs of 2010, Catholics were no longer a majority of the population in the province of North Brabant.\nOnly 1–2% of the total population of the Catholic area attend [mass](https://bliptext.com/articles/mass-liturgy), and these churchgoers consist mostly of people over 65 years old.\n# [De Groote Peel National Park | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/De-Groote-Pleen-Landschaft-2015-01.jpg]\n# [A sign saying, \"Welcome to Brabant\". North Brabant is often just referred to as \"Brabant\". | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Zundert///welkom///in///Brabant.jpg]\n\n# Geography\nWith a population density of 501/km2, North Brabant is above average urbanized.\nThe urbanization is at the center of the province at largest, where the 'kite' (the [Brabantse Stedenrij](https://bliptext.com/articles/brabantse-stedenrij) Breda, Tilburg, Eindhoven and 's-Hertogenbosch) is located, the rest of the province has a more rural character.\nThe province has preserved some of its scenic nature well.\nNational parks are found at the [Loonse and Drunen Dunes](https://bliptext.com/articles/loonse-en-drunense-duinen), [De Biesbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/de-biesbosch) and De [De Groote Peel](https://bliptext.com/articles/grote-peel), on the marshes of the [Meierij](https://bliptext.com/articles/meierij) at [Oisterwijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/oisterwijk) and [Boxtel](https://bliptext.com/articles/boxtel) (within an area called [Het Groene Woud](https://bliptext.com/articles/het-groene-woud)), the border park [Zoom-Kalmthoutse Heide](https://bliptext.com/articles/kalmthoutse-heide), and in the forested area around [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda).\nAlso, south of [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven) named [De Kempen](https://bliptext.com/articles/campine) is an area with farmlands and forests.\nIn [Heeze](https://bliptext.com/articles/heeze), also south of Eindhoven, are the heath areas the Groote Heide (333 ha) and Strabrechtse Heath (1500 ha) located.\nThe Strabrechtse Heide holds also the largest [fen](https://bliptext.com/articles/fen) of the Netherlands.\nThe Beuven (Beu fen) measures 85 hectares.\nLike most of the Netherlands, North Brabant is mostly flat but nearly every part of North Brabant is above sea level; therefore, there are not as many canals as in the lower parts of The Netherlands.\nAlthough most of the population lives in urban areas, the province is scattered with villages around which most of the land is cultivated.\nNational Parks in North Brabant are:\n\n## De Biesbosch\nThe [Biesbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/de-biesbosch) (from bies, \"rushes\", and bosch, \"woodland\") is an area southeast of [Dordrecht](https://bliptext.com/articles/dordrecht) formed when the dike on the [Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse) burst and the [St. Elizabeth's floods](https://bliptext.com/articles/st-elizabeth-s-flood-1421) on 19 November 1421 engulfed great tracts of land in the southwestern Netherlands and altered the geography of the whole area, inundating over 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) of land.\nMore than four-fifths of the flooded land has been reclaimed since the 18th century.\nAn area of 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres) was left as it was, and now forms the Biesbosch nature reserve and bird sanctuary.\nUntil the end of the 1960s the Biesbosch was directly connected with the sea and subject to changing tide levels.\nAs a result, it developed a flora which tolerated brackish water and was the home of numerous waterfowl.\nSince the damming of the [Haringvliet](https://bliptext.com/articles/haringvliet) there is no variation in water level, and both flora and fauna have adapted to the new environment.\nThe Biesbosch is crisscrossed by a network of footpaths and bike paths and by rivers and streams which offer facilities for water sports (sailing, surfing).\nIn spite of the large numbers of visitors the natural environment has remained largely unspoiled.\nThe Biesbosch nature reserve can be reached by car only from the east (preferably via [Werkendam](https://bliptext.com/articles/werkendam)).\nThe southwest part of the area, with its three large reservoirs of drinking water, is closed to road traffic.\nThe Biesbosch can also be reached by boat from [Drimmelen](https://bliptext.com/articles/drimmelen), [Geertruidenberg](https://bliptext.com/articles/geertruidenberg) or [Lage Zwaluwe](https://bliptext.com/articles/lage-zwaluwe).\n\n## De Kempen\nThe historical region of Kempen occupies the southern part of the province of Noord-Brabant and extends south of Eindhoven far into northern [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium).\nTo the east it reaches as far as the [Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse) valley.\nThe surface topography of [De Kempen](https://bliptext.com/articles/campine) is very uniform.\nMost of it lies between 5 m (15 ft) and 35 m (115 ft) above sea level.\nThe basement rocks are Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments, which are overlaid by [Ice Age](https://bliptext.com/articles/ice-age) gravels and sands carried here by rivers of melt-water from the retreating glaciers.\nIt is a typical area of sandy heathland.\nThe infertile soil is suitable only for undemanding crops such as rye, oats, potatoes and fodder plants; this limits the profitability of agriculture.\nUntil a few decades ago Kempen was a region of [heathland](https://bliptext.com/articles/heathland) and sand drifts with a sparse growth of pines, a few scattered villages subsisting on the poor soil and some small towns; and this is still the pattern in much of the region.\nIn recent years, however, the rapid advance of industry has brought about profound changes in this agricultural region.\nThe origins of this industrial development go back 70–100 years.\nThe main concentrations of industry are along the southern frontier of the Netherlands, e.g., at [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven), [Helmond](https://bliptext.com/articles/helmond), [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg), [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch).\n\n## De Peel\nIn the east of Noord-Brabant, near the [Limburgish](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-netherlands) border, is the [Peel](https://bliptext.com/articles/peel-netherlands) area, an expanse of [moorland](https://bliptext.com/articles/moorland) extending from Eindhoven to [Venlo](https://bliptext.com/articles/venlo), on the border with Limburg.\nSoutheast of [Asten](https://bliptext.com/articles/asten-netherlands) is a nature reserve (1,300 hectares (3,250 acres); visitor center at Ospeldijk) which has escaped destruction by peat cutting.\nMostly boggy, it will appeal to nature lovers with its interesting flora and fauna.\nApart from this small area almost the whole of the Peel has been brought into cultivation.\n\n## Rivers and deltas\nThe province is bordered by the river [Meuse](https://bliptext.com/articles/meuse) in the north.\nIts delta flows through [De Biesbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/de-biesbosch) area, a national park.\n\n## Municipalities\nNorth Brabant has been divided into 56 municipalities since 2022.\nTraditionally, almost every town was a separate municipality, but their number was reduced greatly in the 1990s by incorporating smaller towns into neighbouring cities or by other mergers.\nThe municipalities in North Brabant are:\n\n### Municipal reclassifications\nThe following municipal reclassifications took place in the 21st century:\nOn 1 January 2003 the municipality of [Ravenstein](https://bliptext.com/articles/ravenstein-netherlands) merged into the existing municipality of [Oss](https://bliptext.com/articles/oss). \nOn 1 January 2004 the municipalities of [Geldrop](https://bliptext.com/articles/geldrop) and [Mierlo](https://bliptext.com/articles/mierlo) merged into a new municipality called [Geldrop](https://bliptext.com/articles/geldrop)-[Mierlo](https://bliptext.com/articles/mierlo). \nOn 1 January 2011 the municipality of [Lith](https://bliptext.com/articles/lith-north-brabant) merged into the existing municipality of [Oss](https://bliptext.com/articles/oss). \nOn 1 January 2015 the municipality of [Maasdonk](https://bliptext.com/articles/maasdonk) merged into the existing municipalities of ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) and [Oss](https://bliptext.com/articles/oss). \nOn 1 January 2017 the municipalities of [Veghel](https://bliptext.com/articles/veghel), [Schijndel](https://bliptext.com/articles/schijndel), and [Sint-Oedenrode](https://bliptext.com/articles/sint-oedenrode) merged into a new municipality called [Meierijstad](https://bliptext.com/articles/meierijstad), creating the largest municipality of the province of North Brabant in terms of land area.\n \nOn 1 January 2019 the municipalities of [Aalburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/aalburg), [Werkendam](https://bliptext.com/articles/werkendam), and [Woudrichem](https://bliptext.com/articles/woudrichem) merged into a new municipality called [Altena](https://bliptext.com/articles/altena-north-brabant), an even larger municipality in terms of land area. \nOn 1 January 2021 the municipality of [Haaren](https://bliptext.com/articles/haaren-north-brabant) merged into the existing municipalities of [Boxtel](https://bliptext.com/articles/boxtel), [Oisterwijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/oisterwijk), [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg), and [Vught](https://bliptext.com/articles/vught). \nOn 1 January 2022 the municipalities of [Landerd](https://bliptext.com/articles/landerd) and [Uden](https://bliptext.com/articles/uden) merged into the new municipality of [Maashorst](https://bliptext.com/articles/maashorst), and the municipalities of [Boxmeer](https://bliptext.com/articles/boxmeer), [Cuijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/cuijk-municipality), [Grave](https://bliptext.com/articles/grave-netherlands), [Mill en Sint Hubert](https://bliptext.com/articles/mill-en-sint-hubert), and [Sint Anthonis](https://bliptext.com/articles/sint-anthonis) merged into the new municipality of Land van [Cuijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/cuijk-municipality).\n\n# Economy\nThe [Gross domestic product](https://bliptext.com/articles/gross-domestic-product) (GDP) of the province was 116.1 billion € in 2018, accounting for 15.0% of the Netherlands economic output.\nGDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was €39,900 or 132% of the EU27 average in the same year.\nEmployment is found in the [agricultural](https://bliptext.com/articles/agriculture), [industrial](https://bliptext.com/articles/industrial-sector) and [service](https://bliptext.com/articles/service-sector) sectors, with [agricultural](https://bliptext.com/articles/agriculture) and food processing companies such as [Agrifirm](https://bliptext.com/articles/agrifirm), [Bavaria](https://bliptext.com/articles/bavaria-brewery-netherlands), [FrieslandCampina](https://bliptext.com/articles/frieslandcampina), [Mars Incorporated](https://bliptext.com/articles/mars-incorporated), [Nutreco](https://bliptext.com/articles/nutreco), [Royal Canin](https://bliptext.com/articles/royal-canin) all having large production sites or their headquarters located in the province.\nThe main agricultural products are [sweetcorn](https://bliptext.com/articles/maize), [wheat](https://bliptext.com/articles/wheat) and [sugar beet](https://bliptext.com/articles/sugar-beet), while [cows](https://bliptext.com/articles/cow) and [pigs](https://bliptext.com/articles/pig) are held as livestock.\nAn important economical activity is electronics industry, which developed as a spin-off from [Philips](https://bliptext.com/articles/philips).\nSeveral companies originated from Philips, such as Signify (formerly Philips Lighting), [NXP](https://bliptext.com/articles/nxp-[semiconductors](https://bliptext.com/articles/semiconductors)) (producer of [semiconductors](https://bliptext.com/articles/semiconductors)), and the world's largest supplier of [photolithography](https://bliptext.com/articles/photolithography) systems, [ASML](https://bliptext.com/articles/asml-holding).\nThere are eight 'innovation campusses' in North Brabant, including the [High Tech Campus Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/high-tech-campus-eindhoven).\nIn 2017, Brabantian companies applied for 3655 [patents](https://bliptext.com/articles/patent-application), earning a spot in the regional top 5 in Europe.\nOther important industries are automobile production (e.g. [General Motors](https://bliptext.com/articles/general-motors) in [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), [Tesla](https://bliptext.com/articles/tesla-motors) in [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg)) and [DAF](https://bliptext.com/articles/daf-trucks) in [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven), textile and shoes.\nIn the 20th century, [tourism](https://bliptext.com/articles/tourism) has become an important sector for North Brabant.\nA tourist attraction is theme park [Efteling](https://bliptext.com/articles/efteling) in [Kaatsheuvel](https://bliptext.com/articles/kaatsheuvel), the largest of the Benelux.\nSafaripark Beekse Bergen is an Safaripark located between [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg) and [Hilvarenbeek](https://bliptext.com/articles/hilvarenbeek).\nIn terms of area, it is the largest Safaripark in the Benelux.\nMore than 150 animal species are kept, ranging from small mammals to large birds.\nIt is best known for its diversity.\nYou can explore the park on foot, by boat, bus or with your own car.\n[BrabantStad](https://bliptext.com/articles/brabantstad) is a partnership between the municipalities of [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven), [Helmond](https://bliptext.com/articles/helmond), ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) and [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg) and the province of North Brabant.\nAccording to national rules, BrabantStad is defined as the area of Eindhoven, 's-Hertogenbosch and Tilburg.\n\n# Language\n[Brabantian](https://bliptext.com/articles/brabantian-dialect) is not a minority language in the [Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands).\nIt can be divided in two main dialects: [East Brabantian](https://bliptext.com/articles/east-brabantian) and.\nAlong with the [Hollandic](https://bliptext.com/articles/hollandic) dialects it is one of the two most spoken versions of Dutch.\nBrabantian has, as compared to the other main Dutch dialects, had a big influence on the development of Standard Dutch.\nThis is because Brabant was the dominant region in the Netherlands when the standardization of Dutch started in the 16th century.\nThe first major formation of standard Dutch also took place in [Antwerp](https://bliptext.com/articles/antwerp), where a Brabantian dialect is spoken.\nThe default language having been developed around this time, it therefore had mainly Brabantian influences.\nThe early modern Dutch written language was initially influenced primarily by Brabantian, with strong influence from [Hollandic](https://bliptext.com/articles/hollandic-dialect) emerging after the 16th century.\nSince the Brabantian dialect has developed faster than 16th- and 17th-century Dutch, it has become more diverse than modern [Standard Dutch](https://bliptext.com/articles/standard-dutch) but is still quite similar and very understandable.\nAbout one third of the Dutch-speaking population lives in the Brabantian dialect zone.\nBoth in large Brabantian towns such as [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda) and [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven) and in rural areas many people still speak the original dialect or colloquial Dutch with a typical \"southern\" tongue.\n[Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg) and ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) have a large number of people speaking the Brabantian dialect.\n\n# Culture\nThere are many museums, especially in the larger towns which include the [North Brabant Museum](https://bliptext.com/articles/north-brabant-museum) in ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch), the [Van Abbemuseum](https://bliptext.com/articles/van-abbemuseum) in [Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/eindhoven), the [Museum of the Image](https://bliptext.com/articles/museum-of-the-image) in [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), [Noordbrabants Natuurmuseum](https://bliptext.com/articles/noordbrabants-natuurmuseum) in [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg).\nAlso a few towns have a large theater like the Chassé Theater in Breda and the Eindhoven Park Theatre.\nLarge, reputable music venues like the [013](https://bliptext.com/articles/013) in [Tilburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/tilburg), which boasts the largest space of music venues in the [Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands), and the [Effenaar](https://bliptext.com/articles/effenaar) in Eindhoven offer concerts by major artists.\nSmaller venues like Mezz [Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/breda), W2 Concert in ['s-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/s-hertogenbosch) and the smaller halls of the [013](https://bliptext.com/articles/013) and the [Effenaar](https://bliptext.com/articles/effenaar) offer concerts by emerging artists and bigger names in an intimate setting.\n\n## Events\nSome yearly cultural events in North Brabant are:\n\n## Museums\n[List of museums in North Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/list-of-museums-in-north-brabant)\nMuseums of the main cities:\n# [The Museum Quarter in 's-Hertogenbosch is a collective for the Design Museum and NoordBrabants Museum | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Noordbrabants///Museum///DSCF2390.JPG]\n\n## Cuisine\nThe Southern Dutch cuisine constitutes the cuisine of the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and [Limburg](https://bliptext.com/articles/limburg-netherlands) and the [Flemish Region](https://bliptext.com/articles/flemish-region) in [Belgium](https://bliptext.com/articles/belgium).\nIt is renowned for its many rich pastries, soups, [stews](https://bliptext.com/articles/stew), and vegetable dishes and is often called \"[Burgundian](https://bliptext.com/articles/burgundians)\", which is a Dutch idiom invoking the rich [Burgundian](https://bliptext.com/articles/burgundians) court which ruled the [Low Countries](https://bliptext.com/articles/low-countries) in the [Middle Ages](https://bliptext.com/articles/middle-ages) and was renowned for its splendor and great feasts.\nIt is the only Dutch culinary region which developed an [haute cuisine](https://bliptext.com/articles/haute-cuisine), as it is influenced by both [German cuisine](https://bliptext.com/articles/german-cuisine) and [French cuisine](https://bliptext.com/articles/french-cuisine), and it forms the base of most traditional Dutch restaurants including typical [main courses](https://bliptext.com/articles/main-course) such as [Biefstuk](https://bliptext.com/articles/sirloin-steak), [Varkenshaas](https://bliptext.com/articles/fillet-cut), or [Ossenhaas](https://bliptext.com/articles/[beef](https://bliptext.com/articles/beef)-tenderloin), which are premium cuts of meat, generally [pork](https://bliptext.com/articles/pork) or [beef](https://bliptext.com/articles/beef), accompanied by various sauces and potatoes which have been double fried in the traditional Dutch (or Belgian) manner.\nStews, such as [hachee](https://bliptext.com/articles/hachee), a stew of [onions](https://bliptext.com/articles/onion), [beef](https://bliptext.com/articles/beef) and a thick gravy, contain a lot of flavour and require hours to prepare.\nVegetable soups are made from richly flavored [stock](https://bliptext.com/articles/stock-food) or [bouillon](https://bliptext.com/articles/bouillon-broth) and typically contain small meatballs alongside a variety of different vegetables.\nAsparagus and [witlo(o)f](https://bliptext.com/articles/chicory) are highly prized and traditionally eaten with cheese and/or [ham](https://bliptext.com/articles/ham).\nPastries are abundant, often with rich fillings of cream, custard or fruits.\nCakes, such as the [Moorkop](https://bliptext.com/articles/moorkop) and [Bossche Bol](https://bliptext.com/articles/bossche-bol) from Brabant, are typical pastries.\nThere are also savory pastries, especially the popular worstenbroodje (a roll with a sausage of [ground beef](https://bliptext.com/articles/ground-beef)).\nThe traditional alcoholic beverage of the region is beer.\nThere are many local brands, ranging from [Trappist](https://bliptext.com/articles/trappist-beer) to [Kriek](https://bliptext.com/articles/kriek-lambic).\nBeer, like wine in French cuisine, is also used in cooking, often in stews.\n\n## Sports\n# [Rat Verlegh Stadium of NAC Breda | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/20130812///ratverleghstadion.jpg]\n# [King Willem II Stadium of Willem II | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Willem///II///stadion.jpg]\n\n### Association football\nNorth Brabant is home to 8 [professional](https://bliptext.com/articles/professionalism-in-association-[football](https://bliptext.com/articles/association-football)) [football](https://bliptext.com/articles/association-football) clubs, more than any other province in the Netherlands.\nTwo clubs ([PSV](https://bliptext.com/articles/psv-eindhoven) and [RKC Waalwijk](https://bliptext.com/articles/rkc-waalwijk)) play in the [Eredivisie](https://bliptext.com/articles/eredivisie), the highest professional football league in the Netherlands.\nSix clubs ([Helmond Sport](https://bliptext.com/articles/helmond-sport), [Willem II](https://bliptext.com/articles/willem-ii-football-club), [FC Den Bosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/fc-den-bosch), [FC Eindhoven](https://bliptext.com/articles/fc-eindhoven), [TOP Oss](https://bliptext.com/articles/top-oss) and [NAC Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/nac-breda)) play in the [Eerste Divisie](https://bliptext.com/articles/eerste-divisie), the second-highest division of professional football in the Netherlands.\nPSV Eindhoven is the biggest club of North Brabant, and most successful with 25 [Eredivisie titles](https://bliptext.com/articles/netherlands-football-league-championship), 1 [European Cup](https://bliptext.com/articles/1987-88-european-cup) and 1 [UEFA Cup](https://bliptext.com/articles/1978-uefa-cup-final), among many other domestic cups, and is one of the traditional \"[big three](https://bliptext.com/articles/big-three-netherlands)\" clubs in the Netherlands.\n\n### Hockey\nNorth Brabant is home to 3 hockey clubs that play in the Hoofdklasse.\nHC Den Bosch ('s-Hertogenbosch), Oranje Zwart (Eindhoven) and MOP (Vught).\nOranje Zwart is the most successful of these clubs with many prizes, in the regular competition as well as in Europe.\nThe most recent prizes are National Champions in 2014–2015, 2015–2016 and European Champions in 2014–2015.\n\n# Politics\nThe [States of North Brabant](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-of-north-brabant) (Staten van Noord-Brabant) have 55 seats and are headed by the [King's Commissioner](https://bliptext.com/articles/king-s-commissioner) (Commissaris van de Koning), currently [Ina Adema](https://bliptext.com/articles/ina-adema).\nWhereas the provincial council (the [States-Provincial](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-provincial) - Provinciale Staten) is elected by the inhabitants, the Commissioner is appointed by the King and the cabinet of the Netherlands.\nWith 10 seats, [People's Party for Freedom and Democracy](https://bliptext.com/articles/people-s-party-for-freedom-and-democracy) is the largest party in the council, closely followed by [Christian Democratic Appeal](https://bliptext.com/articles/christian-democratic-appeal) and [Socialist Party](https://bliptext.com/articles/socialist-party-netherlands), both with 9 seats.\nThe daily affairs of the province are taken care of by the [Provincial-Executive](https://bliptext.com/articles/provincial-executive-netherlands) (Gedeputeerde Staten), which are also headed by the Commissioner; its members (commissioners - gedeputeerden) can be compared with ministers.\n\n## States-Provincial\nResults in North Brabant in the elections for the [States-Provincial](https://bliptext.com/articles/states-provincial):\n\n## Provincial-Executive\nAs of 7 May the Provincial-Executive of North Brabant is composed of the following individuals.\n\n## Voting results for the House of Representatives\nIn North Brabant the inhabitants voted as follows for the [House of Representatives](https://bliptext.com/articles/house-of-representatives-netherlands) (Tweede Kamer):\n\n# Religion\nTraditionally the province of North Brabant has been strongly [Roman Catholic](https://bliptext.com/articles/roman-catholicism-in-the-netherlands), in contrast to most of the rest of the Netherlands.\nFollowing the country's independence, Catholics faced discrimination by the Protestant government until the mid-19th century.\nDuring the 1960s the relatively strong [demarcation](https://bliptext.com/articles/verzuiling) between the Catholic south on one side and the [Calvinist](https://bliptext.com/articles/calvinism) west and north on the other side of the Netherlands started to diminish.\nIn the second half of the 20th century a rapid secularization took place in North Brabant.\nIn 2015 slightly fewer than half (48%) of the Brabantian people reported adhering to Catholicism, while 5.6% adhered to the [Protestant Church in the Netherlands](https://bliptext.com/articles/protestant-church-in-the-netherlands), 4.4% to [Islam](https://bliptext.com/articles/islam), 3.3% to other churches or faiths.\nMore than a third (38.8%) of the population identified as non-religious.\nAlthough much of the population identifies as Catholic, regular attendance at [Mass](https://bliptext.com/articles/mass-liturgy) is low.\nFor example, in the [Diocese of 's-Hertogenbosch](https://bliptext.com/articles/diocese-of-s-hertogenbosch), the eastern part of North Brabant and part of the province of Gelderland, 1,167,000 people reported in 2006 an association with Roman Catholicism (56.8 percent of the population).\nHowever, only 45,645 residents of this area attended the [mass](https://bliptext.com/articles/mass-liturgy) on average, which was only 2 percent of the total population of the area.\nIn western North Brabant ([Diocese of Breda](https://bliptext.com/articles/diocese-of-breda)) the number of people associating themselves with Catholicism also strongly decreased; only 52 percent of the West Brabantians [identify](https://bliptext.com/articles/cultural-christian) as Roman Catholic.\nChurch attendance was even lower in the west, with only 1 percent of the West Brabantian population attending Mass.\nNorth Brabant is mostly Catholic by tradition.\nResidents may adhere to certain traditions as a base for their [cultural identity](https://bliptext.com/articles/cultural-christian), but the vast majority of the Catholic population is now largely irreligious in practice.\nResearch among Catholics in the Netherlands in 2007 showed that only 27% of the Dutch Catholics could be regarded as [theist](https://bliptext.com/articles/theist), while 55% were [ietsist](https://bliptext.com/articles/ietsism) or non[theist](https://bliptext.com/articles/theist) and 17% were [agnostic](https://bliptext.com/articles/agnostic).\n# [St. Catherine's Church, a Roman Catholic church in Eindhoven | upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Catharinakerk///Eindhoven.jpg]","revisionCount":2},"hasMore":false,"nextCursor":null}